the wonder years

Five Months Old!

2012-01-30T04:05:00.001-05:00

New Years Eve in St. George

2012-01-30T02:42:00.004-05:00

Thanks for a great weekend!

Gingerbread Houses

2012-01-30T02:33:00.003-05:00

Christmas Morning

2012-01-30T02:28:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful, simple and laid-back Christmas at home- just the way I like it. The kids were happy with their loot and we enjoyed dinner with my family.

Nora's Dance Recital

2011-12-25T01:38:00.007-05:00

Nora's first dance recital was so cute! She is in a ballet/tap class of 6-8 year olds (a little early, for her) at our town recreation center. The dance program there put on an adorable Christmas show. I was so proud of Nora for working hard and for doing her best.

Temple Square, Salt Lake City

2011-12-25T01:22:00.004-05:00

Nobody does Christmas lights like my Church!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:18:00.001-05:00

The Living Planet Aquarium

2011-12-25T01:04:00.002-05:00

Well, it's not the New England Aquarium, that's for sure, but for small kids, this place was great- and just what the doctor ordered for a cold afternoon during Christmas break.

Four Months Already?

2011-12-25T01:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas "Eve"

2011-12-25T00:46:00.001-05:00

Be still my heart.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2011-12-08T05:50:00.003-05:00

Three Peas in a Pod

2011-12-08T05:43:00.001-05:00

Halloween (late)

2011-12-08T05:22:00.002-05:00

3 Months Old

2011-12-08T05:10:00.001-05:00

Brotherly Love

2011-12-08T05:03:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving

2011-12-08T04:59:00.001-05:00

Cute Girls

2011-12-08T04:50:00.002-05:00

Pilgrim Feast

2011-12-08T04:44:00.001-05:00

Dinosaur Museum- Thanksgiving Point

2011-12-08T04:07:00.002-05:00

I think Wells' facial expressions are hilarious in these pictures.

Two Months Old

2011-11-11T02:40:00.002-05:00

Real Smiles!

2011-11-11T01:59:00.003-05:00

Evie loved Thanksgiving Point gardens too!

Thanksgiving Point

2011-11-11T01:45:00.002-05:00

This place is a true gem. We've really enjoyed the gardens, farm, and dinosaur museum so far. The gardens are my favorite- it feels like paradise!

Hanging Out

2011-11-11T01:36:00.002-05:00

just because...

2011-11-11T01:24:00.004-05:00

These pictures were taken around the time that Evie started smiling. I didn't really capture one, but these reminded me what she looked like about six weeks ago (that's how far behind I still am!) They change too fast...

"baby land"

2011-11-11T01:19:00.002-05:00

Nora is always creating "baby land" which is a world of toys and other stimulating objects to surround Evie. This one was a little over the top. I always knew that Nora was a great big sister, but she has really taken it to a new level. What a lucky baby.

One Month Old

2011-11-03T03:00:00.002-04:00

Flower Children

2011-11-03T02:44:00.002-04:00

Utah State Fair

2011-10-29T02:12:00.005-04:00

Not quite the Topsfield fair, but this made for a fun day! I had a hard time dragging Wells away from this HUGE bull, however. I think he even kissed it once. The sign said that "Cedar" is very peace-loving and docile, but those horns did worry me a little.

Sisters

2011-10-29T01:56:00.004-04:00

I still can't believe that I have sisters. I'm so happy for both of them. She already calls Evie her "bff" (best friend forever). I wish I could find matching outfits in size 6 and 0-3 months.

Peach Days

2011-10-23T03:28:00.002-04:00

Shortly after we moved here, my mom talked us into driving up to her hometown, Brigham City for the Peach Days festival. These are some of the only pictures that I got that whole day, but I love the expression on Nora's face. It was fun to see my mom's old home and neighborhood. She had some pretty interesting stories to tell. Did they really fill a man-made stream running around city hall with real fish for the kids to jump in and catch with their bare hands?? Verify, Brigham City-ites!

Little Cutie

2011-10-23T03:00:00.001-04:00

"This Is The Place" Heritage Park

2011-10-17T05:53:00.004-04:00

Nora was sad to leave behind Old Sturbridge Village and the Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts- she really loves these living history museums. I thought this cool place was just as good- not to mention way cheaper! We had a great day and especially enjoyed spending it with family.

Blessing Day

2011-10-17T04:58:00.005-04:00

Eve's blessing was like a beautiful dream. We loved being surrounded by friends and family for such a special occasion. Evie was like a sweet little angel dressed in white and received her name and very precious hopes and requests for her future. My sister-in-law offered her lovely home for the event and even provided a delicious meal to follow- and her bed for a much needed nap (Wells)! Thanks for making our day so special!

Loving Arms

2011-10-12T08:52:00.000-04:00

This baby is sure loved!

First Day of School

2011-10-12T08:42:00.003-04:00

Gosh I love this little girl! For some reason, dropping her off at school wasn't hard for me at all. I felt good about the school that we chose and I knew she would do absolutely great. Nora has been so ready for school for a while now. She really needed the intellectual stimulation that I was running out of ideas of how to provide for her. I'm proud of how well she's done so far!

Sleeping Beauty

2011-10-12T08:08:00.002-04:00

I'm by no means an accomplished photographer, but I thought these ones turned out so great! I love it when they smile in their sleep.

First Bath

2011-10-03T07:39:00.002-04:00

Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurts your heart?

Moving to Utah

2011-10-01T01:07:00.003-04:00

Our drive to Utah turned out to be smoother than I had feared! We left the day that I was discharged from the hospital and drove for the next four days. I was actually glad that the baby was so young because she basically slept the whole way with eating and diapering breaks every two hours- which were also good for the kids because they got to get out and run around. We spent two nights in hotels and drove through the night the other two to make up time that we lost by stopping so much. Here are some of the few shots that I managed to get on the way. I think the highlight of the trip was the hotel pools.

Leaving the Hospital

2011-09-27T07:44:00.002-04:00

One of the things that I'll miss about Boston is this great hospital. I have had all three of my kids there and I loved it every time. Evie and I enjoyed a couple of days away from the hustle and bustle of a cross-country move and it felt like a mini-vacation! I was a little sad to leave, actually, knowing what lay ahead...

Evie's first Visitors

2011-09-23T05:12:00.004-04:00

Nora and Wells were smitten at once! Nora has been completely in love, and can't get enough of her little sister- Wells has his fleeting moments of interest in the baby that usually end in shouting and running around. I thought this conversation that I had with him as we left storytime yesterday was hilarious:

Wells: "Can I press on your tummy now, or is there still a baby in there?"

Me: "No, Wells, there is no baby inside- she came out and it's Evie!"

Wells: "Let's pretend there's another baby in your tummy and this time it's a boy!"

Me: "How would we be able to take care of another baby?" (I'll never be cut out for twins...)

Wells: "We'll just get another binky!"

I think he's still trying to make sense of all that has happened in the last month. He keeps asking when we will move to Utah, even though we've been here for three weeks now.

Finally Some Baby Pictures!

2011-09-10T07:28:00.004-04:00

Our smallest by far!
Look at the lower lip. She seems to sense it- this nurse was MEAN!
Another 3:00 am baby (just like her brother)

Love at first sight.
Her first photo!

So things have finally settled down enough for me to actually sit down to a computer, that actually works AND is connected to the internet. Suffice it to say, it has been a busy few weeks. We have relocated to Utah, FINALLY received all of our stuff, unpacked (mostly) and managed to come away with a three week old baby who is actually thriving and now weighs what the other two did at birth! She is so sweet, so adorable, and so much fun. I couldn't be more in love. It's been fun to look back at these pictures and remember the amazing moments surrounding her birth. The nurses in the hospital kept telling me to write down some thoughts and feelings that I had while they were still fresh in my mind. I thought that was great advice, and really cool coming from a bunch of Bostonians. Unfortunately, I didn't do it. Things were just too crazy- the movers actually packed our house up the DAY Eve was born. Looking back at these pictures though, and now that things have settled down a bit, I think I should be able to do that now with some sense of accuracy. It was by far and away the best birthing experience I have had. Finally my body has figured out what to do without too much unnecessary trauma! I was lucky to have contractions that never got more than 5 minutes apart, minimal time spent pushing, and (sorry if this is too graphic) no tears! (or tears- forgive the heteronym) Also, I felt victorious that I did it all naturally- the very day that I was scheduled to be induced. More later! (probably between late night feedings...)

Eve

2011-08-20T11:41:00.002-04:00

We finally had our baby! Eve was born at 8 pounds, 9 ounces, 21 inches long- smaller than the other two! The delivery was painful- but better than the other two and I did it without an epidural which was probably the best part of all. They just don't agree with me, I've decided. I have been floating on cloud nine ever since. She is beautiful, healthy and angelic. I wish I could post pictures, but our home computer is packed and this laptop keeps trying to format my camera card which scares me. You will all have to wait til we arrive in Utah to see just how beautiful our new daughter is. She takes my breath away...

Time to leave the hospital and our journey to Utah begins!

Celebrating with Family

2011-08-01T05:12:00.002-04:00

To top it off, we had a cook-out with cousins at our house. Wells absolutely loves his cousins and we knew this would be the perfect ending to his birthday weekend. I wish I had gotten some more pictures of him with his favorite girls. He managed to get more gifts, including a super cool CARS lego set that he hasn't stopped playing with since.

Birthday Camp-Out!

2011-08-01T04:52:00.004-04:00

Wells wanted a race-car themed birthday party. He also wanted to go camping this summer. Seeing as my days of parties and camping are numbered (and so is my energy level!) we decided to combine his ideas into a camping, race car, birthday bash! We were a little worried about the weather forecast which called for rain, but ended up getting very lucky with only rain in the middle of the night and a bright, sunny morning to dry out all our gear! Wells loved having his friends along and celebrating outside- his favorite place to be. I think the main attraction ended up being the campfire, but luckily we came away with only minor scares and no burns to speak of. Overall, I would say our birthday camp-out was a success. Happy Birthday to my favorite little guy.

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

2011-08-01T04:31:00.004-04:00

We can't believe our little boy is three years old! This weekend we celebrated with a special birthday dinner with his cousins, gifts, and a birthday camp-out with friends, race-car themed! It was busy and fun! Here are some pictures of Wells' birthday morning. He scored his first baseball glove, some pool toys, a bongo drum and lego set from Mom, Dad and Nora. On his birthday we went to a spray park with friends and then had planned to go out for ice cream after dinner but the poor little guy came down with an ear ache and didn't feel up to it. Nora and I ran out for some tylenol and grape popsicles to bring home while Wells watched a movie with Dad- a real treat in this house!

Get Your Lemonade!

2011-07-25T01:16:00.002-04:00

Ever since we had our lemonade stand last summer, Nora has been talking about doing it again. As soon as the weather warmed up, she was a constant reminder. She really is quite a little entrepreneur. The kids had a great time and ended up making $12 (lots of tips) which they split. Not bad for a couple of hours of lounging in the yard!

Garden in the Woods

2011-07-25T00:19:00.002-04:00

I took the kids to Framingham to check out a great garden sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society. It was truly magical. I wish I had taken more pictures of some of the garden elements. We took a mile walk through the gardens and checked out all of the different areas. Here are a few shots of the kids taking it all in.

Blueberry Picking

2011-07-24T23:13:00.002-04:00

A couple weeks ago we had a great time at a local farm doing some blueberry picking. I couldn't believe how big, beautiful and delicious the blueberries were! We spent about an hour picking and probably could have stayed longer if I wasn't about to pass out from the heat. The kids did great and we ended up with quite a haul. Afterward, we enjoyed a picnic lunch with friends and checked out the animals there. It was so much more fun than the berry picking we tried last summer- I guess the crop was especially good and so were the kids this time! We have already made blueberry muffins, scones, and a few smoothies. Yum!

Boston Common

2011-07-24T22:48:00.002-04:00

As soon as we decided to leave Massachusetts, we made a list of the things that we still needed to do before we left. If you can believe it, taking the kids to Boston Common was on there! Josh and I had been before Nora was born, and I think once when she was a baby, but we had never taken kids to sit on the make way for ducklings statues, ride the swan boats, or swim in frog pond. Unfortunately, the Saturday that we went was the day that our camera battery died. We did get a couple of pictures before our picnic, and before Wells soaked himself in that fountain.

Plymouth Plantation

2011-07-20T23:45:00.002-04:00

To take advantage of a Friday freebie we drove down to Plymouth Plantation for a fun day at the living museum there. Beside the rain that lasted for most of the day, and one leaky rain boot, the trip ended up being perfect! The kids got to learn a lot about the Native Americans that originally inhabited this area as well as their own pilgrim ancestors. The actors and actresses in the Plymouth colony were totally amazing. They impersonate real individuals that lived at the time and know all kinds of things about them. The lady in the third picture is Lucretia Brewster. While driving home, I saw several streets named after her family. The freebie extended to the very well-done Mayflower replica which the kids loved. Wells had to miss his nap that day, but I felt that it was well worth it.

Eagles Mere

2011-07-19T23:33:00.009-04:00

Our summer has really flown by so far. I can't believe how far behind I have gotten on my blog posts. I figure I should probably catch up before the baby comes along (two and a half weeks to go!). In June we spent our week with family in Eagles Mere. It turned out to be a really great trip. This year the kids were at SUCH perfect ages for hikes, swimming, playing at the beach, tennis, soccer, etc... We really managed to do it all. It was difficult to pick the best pictures because I took so many, but here are some of the highlights.

Dancing Queen

2011-06-14T02:50:00.004-04:00

Nora had her last ballet class and recital last week. She has really excelled in dance class and seemed to completely enjoy it this time. She shows a lot a grace and poise for such a young dancer. It was sad to say good bye to her great teacher, Miss Sanchez. Does anyone know of any good dance schools in Utah county?

Little Graduate

2011-06-14T02:23:00.004-04:00

I'm so proud of Nora. She finished pre-school with absolutely perfect reviews and managed to rise above some pretty tricky social situations in her little class. She is such a great example to those around her and is always nice to everyone. As an added bonus, she's bright and works hard. What a girl!

Future Boston Police Squad!

2011-06-14T02:10:00.004-04:00

While we were leaving the scooper bowl, some nice police officers invited the kids to sit on their motorcycle- flashing lights and all! It was really cool of them and the kids loved it. One thing that I'll miss about Boston is that because kids are rare they are more likely to get special treatment because people don't usually see them around very much and tend to make a huge fuss over them (or maybe it's because my kids happen to be especially cute :)

Scooper Bowl

2011-06-14T01:35:00.002-04:00

We went to the annual "Scooper Bowl" in Boston while my mom was visiting. A bunch of ice cream vendors gather and offer tasty samples (all you can eat!) to support cancer research. It's always fun and kind of crazy but a great way to try new flavors of ice cream that you may never have thought to buy. The kids were in heaven! An added bonus is that MIT buys our tickets every year- score!

Winchester Town Day

2011-06-14T01:21:00.003-04:00

We hit another local 'town day' on a recent Saturday when Josh was at school. This one did not disappoint! The kids loved the pony rides, petting zoo, crafts, vendors and other activities that were available. I only wished we had gotten to do more before nap-time. Luckily, we were able to head back that evening after dinner for a fire works show. Not too shabby!

Today we welcomed a new addition to the family...

2011-05-21T22:10:00.007-04:00

It's a girl! We named her Goldie.

It's true. After many months (about 6) of heated discussion, debate, surveying larger-familied friends, relatives and neighbors, and surfing craigslist, Josh finally came around and embraced the inevitable. We are now officially mini-vanners. Never thought the day would come!

Sailing in Boston Harbor

2011-05-02T23:24:00.005-04:00

We discovered that the Boston Sailing Club gives free sailing lessons/rides one Saturday each year. Sometimes we drive down just to look at all the boats sailing around (upon Wells' request) so we knew we couldn't pass this up. The wait wasn't too bad and the 40 minute ride was really cool. I was surprised at the kids, though, who both requested to 'go faster' and asked for a motor boat ride next time! Little speed demons!

Egg Dying

2011-04-26T01:01:00.003-04:00

Our egg dying activity was fraught with many casualties but we also ended up with some beautiful- and tasty results. Watching the kids chow down on their master-pieces made me feel a little better about their dismal attempts at eating dinner that night. Josh was heartbroken at the utter "waste" of lemon juice (we were all out of vinegar) but I think all-in-all the project was worthwhile, from a nutritional, educational (we ended with a lesson on primary and secondary color mixing) and creative standpoint.

The Hunt

2011-04-26T00:52:00.002-04:00

I forgot to change the setting on my camera so these pictures have horrible color, but I think they're sufficient to see who came to our house yesterday! Wells really impressed me during our egg hunt. He kept up with Nora pretty well and only stopped a couple times to open eggs along the way. I guess having an older sibling really offers some valuable competitive training.

The Baskets

2011-04-26T00:41:00.004-04:00

Maybe I have totally spoiled my kids, but I LOVE holidays since becoming a mom. My entire life I have dreamed of how fun it would be to have kids on Easter, Christmas, etc.. Nora and Wells absolutely love the bunnies Ruby and Max cartoons. In fact, they are the only shows that they watch, in the car on long drives. I think it's because Nora is Ruby to a tee and Wells is Max. I found these adorable Ruby and Max dolls on-line and bought them months ago. It was a good choice- they have been playing with them non-stop since they pulled them out of the baskets. The chocolate bunnies were a special request and I was shocked and amazed to see Wells eat his all in one shot- in a about 45 seconds- chocolate drool all down his shirt. I wish I had gotten a picture of that. Have I mentioned how much I love Easter?

Easter!

2011-04-26T00:14:00.004-04:00

Getting these pictures of the kids was nothing short of a miracle. I had to bribe them with promises of Easter treats if they cooperated- and it worked! Church had just ended and the easter attire was not yet streaked with chocolate drool from the sugar-fest that was to follow. One year I accidently bought Nora an easter dress that I discovered later was dry-clean only, even though the sales clerk assured me that gapkids carried no such thing. Are you kidding me? Who dry cleans clothes for a two year old? But I digress. These pictures were a major Score!

Reading

2011-04-10T23:20:00.002-04:00

Ever since Nora started reading, my job has gotten so much easier! She used to always ask me to read to her, which I love doing, don't get me wrong, but it would be the first thing she wanted in the morning (before my eyes were even open) and no other task that I was busy with seemed important enough to do instead of reading. Now, she can sit down with a book while I'm cleaning up breakfast, getting dressed, etc.. The best part comes when she reads to Wells, which makes me feel great because I have always feared that I haven't read to him enough. Here she is reading Wells his new book before ballet class while I get ready to go. Score!

Birthday Party

2011-04-10T23:04:00.003-04:00

Nora choose to have her birthday party at a plaster painting studio this year. It turned out to be really cool. Each of her guests was able to choose a plaster piece to paint which was then sprayed with either a shiny or glittery finish. We topped it off with pizza, fruit, ice cream, and of course, cup cakes! Nora was in heaven. She had all her favorite friends from school, church, and her old playgroup and was able to do a craft that she loved. All in all, a huge success!

Happy Birthday, Nora!

2011-04-05T23:23:00.004-04:00

My baby turned 5. I'm still in shock. We had a nice dinner with her cousins with a menu of her choice- homemade cheese pizza, cherry juice and cake and ice cream. The next morning, (her actual birthday) we surprised her with a few gifts that I was very excited about- the best in my opinion was a very cute, but non-breakable, thank goodness, tea set. Now she can stop cutting 2-dimensional tea pots out of paper. Happy birthday, Nora!

The All-Star Line-Up

2011-04-03T00:04:00.002-04:00

Apostles and Prophets

2011-04-02T23:41:00.003-04:00

You gotta love General Conference from the eyes of a 4 year old.

Little Dancer

2011-04-02T23:21:00.002-04:00

Two years ago I signed Nora up for a 10 week dance class at the local rec center. I thought the teacher was awesome and the price was good. Nora had a really good time, too. At the end of the class I asked Nora if she wanted to sign up for the next session and she said "No, I think it was a little too hard" I was really surprised, but not about to force her to do it. Instead, we tried gymnastics which she also said was "too hard". Oh well. Lately, she has shown a lot of interest in dance again. When I asked if she wanted to try a class, she got really excited. Because the program goes from age 2 to 6, she was still eligible and I signed her up for the 4-5 year old class. When we got there, there was the same great teacher that she had before and the crazy part is that the lady actually remembered the almost 5 year old Nora from her memory of the almost 3 year old one. Nora loved her first class and is looking forward to the next. It will be interesting to see if she sticks with it this time. I hope so- tap and ballet shoes aren't cheap. In the meantime, she sure looks cute in her little dance outfit.

Skiing!

2011-02-27T19:08:00.002-05:00

Hogle Zoo

2011-02-27T04:26:00.003-05:00

We made sure to visit Hogle Zoo with my dad while we were in Utah. It was a beautiful- almost warm! and sunny day and we had a blast. This zoo is huge compared to ours and it took almost all day to see it all. As you can see, Wells gave it two thumbs up!

Grandparents

2011-02-27T04:12:00.002-05:00

Our trip to Utah killed several birds with one stone. Not only did Josh get to do some skiing with his family, but the kids were able to visit with all four of their grandparents. Here are my parents, getting to know my kids. I think they were impressed by Nora's new reading skills. That's right, she taught herself to read in time to wow grandma and grandpa on both sides, little smartie-pants!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-25T22:31:00.005-05:00

I know I'm late in posting this, but we left town shortly after Valentine's Day and just got back yesterday. We had our traditional visit from cupid who left some treats for the kids at the end of their heart trails. For dinner, I tried fondue. It was an interesting outcome. I think the chocolate was a smashing success- the only setback was not enough strawberries. Let's just say I will try something different for the cheese fondue next year.

Crafts

2011-02-07T22:33:00.003-05:00

These snowy days have certainly exhausted my idea bank for indoor activities. I think these little bird houses were worth the $1.50 I spent on them. Today we rode scooters and played ball in the gym at church. It was actually Josh's idea because Wells asks to ride his scooter EVERY day and is always THROWING things. The kids loved it. Why didn't he think of that months ago??? Afterwards we drove around the temple while Wells dosed off in an actual TIRED sleep, like from real physical exertion. What bliss.

The Tower

2011-02-03T01:49:00.003-05:00

Yes, this really is the most exciting thing that's been happening around here lately- oh, that and me FINALLY starting to recover from this horrible headcold that I've had. Fingers crossed that no one else follows me!

SNOW

2011-02-03T01:40:00.003-05:00

I would be remiss if I didn't record the amazing amount of snow that we have been getting this winter. It is almost unreal. Every week it's at least another foot on top of all the non-melted snow that has already fallen. I have been putting off playing outside with the kids this week. I don't know why but I think it has something to do with Wells wanting to come in as soon as we get all bundled up and out there. We braved it today while Josh was shoveling from the last storm. It was so fun! Wells played happily for the hour and a half that we were outside and didn't complain once. We even got to hook the kids' sled up to Josh's truck and take them for a spin down the cul-de-sac. Wish I had gotten some pictures of that! The only down side was the freezing rain that fell constantly until we were all SOAKED. You can't tell, but Josh had to stand under an umbrella to take these pictures for us.

Family Photos

2011-01-19T01:27:00.005-05:00

I can't believe how long it has taken me to post these family photos. My good friend (and amazing photographer!), Liz Wertz took them for us in late November in exchange for some babysitting that I did for her adorable girls. It was the best bargain of all time! We love how they turned out, long over-due (especially the ones of Josh and me- I think it's been several years since we have gotten a good photo of the two of us...) and just in time for our Christmas cards!

Dog Races

2011-01-19T01:04:00.006-05:00

On Saturday we decided to go check out a dog racing event not far away. It ended up being really cool. The kids got a little cold after a while but didn't complain too much. Our only regret was not having snow shoes. The snow around here is so deep that if you fall through, you really fall. At one point I was sunk in almost waist deep. Bringing the kids' sled was a good move. Wells even took his afternoon nap on it. It was the second annual mushing event in Ipswich and we decided that if we're here next year, we'll definitely go again- hopefully with snowshoes- and a bigger sled...

Disney On Ice

2011-01-11T22:03:00.003-05:00

For one of Nora's Christmas presents, I took her into Boston to surprise her with Disney on Ice. The show was any little girl's dream come true, complete with princesses, ice dancing, music and amazing special effects. Although I didn't get any pictures in the actual arena, I did take some on the train getting there. I also managed to get some short video clips to help us remember the magic. I'll have to post a few of those sometime when I'm feeling up to it.

Play Space!

2011-01-11T21:04:00.004-05:00

I know it's been far too long since I have posted anything. Truthfully, since Christmas, there really hasn't been a lot to post. We started feeling the itch of staying indoors for too long and so I took the kids to this really cool indoor play space on Monday. It's not something that we do often because of the cost, but it always seems worth it when we do. The kids love running around together and getting ALL of their wiggles and energy out. I enjoy that they're not taking it out on me!

Sugar Cookies

2010-12-26T01:11:00.003-05:00

Decorating Christmas sugar cookies has become a tradition in our home. For any of you who received a bag of these as an offering of Christmas cheer, I apologize for the mess, clumped frosting and way-too-many sprinkles. As you can see, their creators had a vision and could not be interrupted.

Winter's first Snow Man

2010-12-26T01:00:00.001-05:00

"I may be small, but I have a big heart!- and I'm standing on a big mound."

Christmas Morning

2010-12-26T00:48:00.004-05:00

Besides the fact that Nora felt under the weather and had a little fever for most of the day, we had a very joyous Christmas! It was laid back, relaxing, and slow-paced, maybe even too much so for Josh, who kept calling kids back to keep opening their presents. The highlights of the morning were reading the scriptural account of the first Christmas and being together as a family. The kids loved the presents that we, and other relatives got them (always a plus!) and were very grateful and non-bratty (even better!) Thanks to all those who sent along very thoughtful and generous gifts for all of us. Hope your Christmas's were also merry and bright this year!

Gingerbread House

2010-12-08T20:27:00.004-05:00

Nora made a gingerbread house in school yesterday that she was mighty proud of. I must say, she had very good reason to be. It is really cute. I think of all of us, Wells likes it the most. It has been picked apart a little, so I'm glad I got some pictures when she first brought it home. The greatest part was not having to buy all the candy and deal with the mess of construction at home. Happy Holidays!

Ode to our Old Christmas Tree

2010-12-07T02:39:00.004-05:00

We have used the same artificial, pre-lit Christmas tree for all but one of our ten christmas's. It sits in the attic in a long, cardboard box and never disappoints. Josh asks me if he can throw it out each year as he hauls it up to the attic for storage. This year, he may just get his way. We got it out to discover NONE of the lights were working on the top two (out of three) sections. I think our old tree may be seeing its last christmas with us. It didn't stop the kids from having a great time decorating it for family home evening tonight!

Sailor Boy

2010-12-07T02:26:00.003-05:00

We spent the weekend with family in Rhode Island. The cousins played great together the whole time- barring one incident of Wells climbing a book shelf, falling off, and hitting his head on the corner of a table. One time we went to the basement for a little 'concert' that they had put together that involved some cello, violin, and recorder playing. This little guy was dressed up to be the 'usher' in this adorable sailor suit. He also did a little drumming and dancing on the side. I couldn't get enough!

Beaver

2010-11-25T16:13:00.003-05:00

Every Sunday we try to go for a walk as a family. Last week we tried this new trail around a pond in a neighboring town. I first noticed what I thought looked like a beaver dam . Then, we started to notice the beavers swimming around and slapping their tails. Can you find them? I think we saw two dams and three beavers. When we got home we tried to use the internet to figure out why the were slapping their tails. Apparently it's a way to warn other beavers of possible danger nearby. I think the danger was us.

Princess Tea Party

2010-11-09T03:01:00.003-05:00

Somehow Nora's favorite store called to ask if she wanted to attend a princess tea-party there. I thought it would be a fun outing for just the two of us and made Josh stay home on Saturday so that we could go without Wells (it was during his nap time) It turned out to be a little over-crowded with princesses but the whole event was fun because it was just us girls. Nora and I browsed the mall and looked at all the things we always want to but don't because I can't deal with a toddler in certain places. I ended up breaking the bank at gymboree, ironically on clothes for Wells (Nora gets great hand-me-downs from her very generous cousins and thankfully I hardly ever have to buy her anything) and it was great to browse the store without worrying about him climbing a clothes rack like a monkey and pulling it over (yes, this really has happened.) We ended up staying out a little longer than expected and came home to find that the boys had napped, done yardwork and gone for a scooter ride down the block. Thanks, Josh!

Trick-or-Treating

2010-11-09T02:43:00.007-05:00

Halloween night this year was COLD. We only got about half of the trick-or-treaters that we usually get. Our street is perfect for trick-or-treating, there's hardly any traffic and the number of homes make it a perfect length for small kids. They usually come back half-way and eat the ice cream that one guy always passes out (as if it wasn't cold enough) and some hot cocoa and then hit some homes on the next street of the people that we know. I love halloween night. It's one of the only times that Josh takes the kids and I have the place to myself- well, me and a semi-constant stream of little monsters, angels and witches with your occasional non-dressed up teenager looking for a hand-out. If Nora looks sad in some of the pictures, it's because she was. I couldn't believe it. She actually cried on her favorite night of the year because her mean mother made her wear a coat. "No one will be able to tell that I'm a witch!" By the time she got home she was so cold and grateful that I had forced her into a coat and gloves that she thanked me with a snickers bar. Sweet!

Halloween at MIT

2010-10-30T23:17:00.003-04:00

Our halloween week continued with the annual MIT family halloween party this afternoon. This is always a tough one because of the time- 3 pm- that always seems to conflict with naptime. We actually got there at 4:15 and made quick rounds to get everything in before 5:00. It was fun to see so many kids dressed up and I think it was good for them to actually have to play games and win the candy instead of just free hand-outs. They also made halloween bracelets, enjoyed some cotton candy, and listened to the end of a folk-music kids concert. Oh yeah, and the beaver was there. Wells couldn't take his eyes off him.

Halloween Sneek-Peek

2010-10-27T05:32:00.004-04:00

I know that Halloween is still several days away, but the truth is, around here, there is Halloween WEEK. I counted the kids' halloween events and parties and there are seven. The first, and one of my favorites was today. Nora and her friends have been getting together annually for four years now. We always have a photo shoot and they always look adorable. This year, the wonderful hostess, Susan, who has the added perk of an awesome yard incorporated a few cool games as well. I love the picture of Wells cheating but with one hand behind his back. I bet he was thinking- "what's the big deal, girls? This game isn't so hard..." Little monkey...

Pretzels!

2010-10-24T23:45:00.002-04:00

We had another soft pretzel attempt with a little more success than the first. Wells requested an elephant. I have such fond memories of this activity as a child that I am determined to find a recipe that I am just thrilled with. Anyone have one?

Sunday Drive

2010-10-24T23:26:00.005-04:00

We drove into Boston today to try to see some boats compete in the annual Head of the Charles Regatta. Unfortunately, we weren't able to park anywhere close to the actual event and ended up giving up after a while. We did see some cool boat manuvers from the car window, but that's about all. Josh suggested that we just drive up to MIT campus and take a little walk. While that is probably not very exciting for him because he is there everyday, it is still novel for us and so we went for it. The weather was crisp and delightful and the autumn leaves made for a very beautiful backdrop. Josh played photographer.

Punkin' Carvin'

2010-10-17T23:18:00.004-04:00

We have started a yearly tradition of getting together with friends to carve pumpkins. We start with dinner, then set the kids up with some crafts to hopefully buy ourselves some carving time and then get to work. After, we marvel at our creations while enjoying dessert. This year's results did not disappoint.

The Topsfield Fair

2010-10-15T00:26:00.004-04:00

Nora's 1st Field Trip

2010-10-15T00:07:00.004-04:00

I chaparoned Nora's first field trip to a farm today. The kids got to pick apples, pumpkins, feed some animals and ride the hayride. It was short and sweet and Nora got to ride a school bus and felt like a very big girl.

Super Saturday!

2010-10-09T15:41:00.004-04:00

While I lived in Utah during college, our church planned a "Super Saturday" every fall where all the ladies got together and spent an entire day on crafts. When we moved I never thought I would experience it again. I was thrilled to find out that this year we did one here! I made both of these crafts this morning. The "Family Home Evening" board is to assign 'jobs' to each family member for our weekly family night. The other craft is a Christmas countdown that lets you count down by rotating the colorful number blocks. My skill set has expanded to include vinyl lettering and decopauge- while Josh's expanded to include hide-and-go-seek and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Hooray for Super Saturday!

Town Days

2010-09-25T23:57:00.003-04:00

I have discovered a cool tradition that takes place in the fall since we have moved to Boston. Each town has a Saturday called Town Day that involves a street fair, parade, and sometimes night fireworks. I try to go to one each year. Most of the time the weather is gorgeous and it is a busy, crazy crowd of people all strolling along and enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of that particular town. This year I took both kids by myself. I managed to pull out my camera twice. Once at the touch a truck area where they took at turn sitting in the bobcat. Next, I got a shot of them making an 'orange air freshener' at the historic exhibit. We had a picnic and walked along the street and back. Now I'm tired.

Yesterday Was...

2010-09-24T00:36:00.004-04:00

The Last Beach day in 2010...

Today Was... the first day of Fall. I think we're finally ready.

Apple Pickin'

2010-09-20T01:10:00.004-04:00

Who would pay at least twice as much for produce that you have to drive a half an hour to get to and then PICK YOURSELF??? All of New England, apparently. Yesterday we decided to take the kids apple picking at a local farm. Let me tell you, even for "apple fest" I thought the place was insanely busy. Luckily, there was still room to run around a little, pick a peck, ride the hayride, picnic by the pond, and see all the animals without too much crowd fighting. We were home in time for nap with a car full of apples and two very sleepy kids AND, now they know where apples come from.

Second Day of School!

2010-09-16T23:53:00.002-04:00

I couldn't resist! Nora looked so cute going to school today. I loved walking her up there. When I dropped her off, she didn't look back.