A Blonde and Her Boys

Boys - January 2012

2012-01-12T08:30:00.001-05:00

All parents comment to one another about how quickly time goes by, especially when your children are young. This is why I just need to get out some of the fun things that my two little angels have been up to as of late.

They honestly crack me up. Nolan tells a knock knock joke.

Yes, my son is a jokester and picked up on a knock knock joke that he heard on Yo Gabba Gabba. He will tell us over and over and over. Last night he was on the phone with Poppy and, sure enough....

Nolan: Knock Knock

Poppy: Who's there?

Nolan: Cargo

Poppy: Cargo who?

Nolan: Car go beep beep! HAHAHAHA!

He cracks himself up...and me too.

"You're making me nervous," is what popped out of Nolan's mouth as I was changing his diaper one day. Where does this come from!? Crazy kid.

Nolan sings "I've Been Working on the Railroad" constantly. He especially likes to sing it in the bathtub and also while he's playing the drums. His voice gets really loud for different parts like, "can't you hear the whistle blowing, RISE UP SO EARLY IN THE HORN (he says horn, not morn)."

"I'm stuck in the mud." Both of them like to pretend that they're stuck in the mud (no clue where they've gotten this) and will ask for his brother's help to get out. They're using their imaginations!

Luke is still the more "giving" of the two. If he has something that Nolan wants, he will often give it to Nolan and say, "here you go, Nolie," without question.

My boys call each other, Nolie and Lukie. If you ask one of my boys what their brother's name is, that will be their response.

Justin was giving them a bath one night last week and told me about how they were both playing with their Yo Gabba Gabba toys in the tub when Luke put his arm around Nolan and told him that he was his best friend.

Luke has a 'stance' that he gets into whenever he rocks out. "I like to rock!" is what he tells us! He will stand with his legs apart and plays the guitar.

Last week Luke was at his cousin Jake's house and stood on Jakes skateboard and began making motions like he was trying to do skateboard tricks. "I'm doing tricks!" he told my mom. I can only guess that he gets this from Muno on Yo Gabba.

Refreshing!

2012-01-10T11:33:00.002-05:00

Being cooped up in a house with two two and a half year olds can sometimes drive you stir-crazy. We just need to get out and get some fresh air. I was hoping for some snow by now (sledding! skiing!), but there has been NONE, but we were blessed with a warm day this past Saturday.

The fresh air felt wonderful! We kicked around a ball, ran through the pine trees and collected pine cones, played at the playground and just enjoyed being together....outside of the walls of our home.

And if you need proof of why we need to get OUT...

Playing Catch-Up

2012-01-10T10:59:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged since Christmas and so much has happened between then and now.

A few days post-Christmas my parents and brothers came into town to visit. We had a fantastic time playing with Christmas toys and running rampant at Chuck e Cheese. I miss my family so much and it really hits home when they walk through my front door and my youngest brother is almost as tall as I am. Luke and Nolan loved their time with them and asked for them in the week following their visit.

With Christmas behind us, Justin and I were able to finally focus on our upcoming trip to Disney World. We had gone so far as to book the airfare and my parents booked their timeshare before the holidays, but we held off on everything else until January. I'm happy to say that everything is booked and paid for. Now I am just focusing on Disney logistics and timelines. Why is planning a trip to Disney so overwhelming?

I've been preparing the boys for the trip by telling them that we're going to go on an airplane to visit Mickey in a few weeks. Now when they wake up from naps, they'll ask if we're going to Disney today.

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm a terrible flier. I am only "okay" on a flight with a high dose of anxiety meds to knock myself out. You can call me BA Baracus. I am extremely happy that my parents and sister will be traveling with us, especially because I will have extra people on hand in case I have a full-on plane meltdown since I won't be as medicated as usual on the flight since the boys will be with me.

We celebrated my birthday this past weekend. It was nice to hear my kids sing 'Happy Birthday' to me! The boys have been really funny lately with the things that come out of their mouths. I've been taking a lot of video because there's just so much that I never want to forget. The singing has got to be my favorite!

Being silly.

Luke wearing a headband as shades.

Stacking: probably Luke's favorite activity.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T08:37:00.002-05:00

Another Christmas has come and gone, but this was was definitely one I'll never forget simply because it was so magical for Luke and Nolan. My dad, Bobby has always said that he loved the holiday just because he loved seeing mine, Jonathan's & Danielle's faces as we opened our presents from Santa. As a kid, I was always baffled that he never tore into his pile of gifts, but was content to just sit & watch us as we tore off the paper and begged him to put batteries into our new toys.

Now, it's perfectly understandable to me.

This is one happy boy. A set of drums is all that he could talk about for the entire month leading up to Christmas.

We told the boys that they could open the gifts under the tree because they were for them from Santa. Luke happily opened 80% of the presents then let loose on mine & Justin's pile as well. He sure does love unwrapping!

Tank opened his presents too, but only cared about the racoon.

The day was spent in our home with our families -- unwrapping gifts, eating food, listening to concerts from Luke & Nolan and spending quality time with the ones we love.

ABC's about me

2011-12-14T10:22:00.002-05:00

A. Age: 31
B. Bed size: King. With a husband who is 6’3”, a king is a necessity.
C. Chore that you hate: putting clean laundry away in their respective drawers or closet. Also, emptying the dishwasher.
D. Dogs: Tank, our Boston Terrier.
E. Essential start to your day: Hazelnut coffee with cream & sugar.
F. Favorite color: Blue.
G. Gold or Silver: I’m having a gold moment.
H. Height: 5'6 & 3/4”
I. Instruments you play: Nothing.
J. Job title: Legal Assistant.
K. Kids: Luke & Nolan.
L. Live: In Philadelphia.
M. Mother’s name: Catherine Elizabeth.
N. Nicknames: Chica, Fern, Momma.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Thankfully, only when I had my boys.
P. Pet peeves: People who talk during movies; close-talkers; inconsiderate drivers; miserable & inconsiderate people.
Q. Quote from a movie: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” Dumbledore, from Harry Potter
R. Right or left handed: Righty.
S. Siblings: I have 3 brothers and 1 sister. In birth order, they are: Jonathan, Danielle, Zachary, Joshua.
T. Teenage crush: Eddie Vedder.
U. Underwear: I love underwear.
V. Vegetable you hate: Beets. I’ve never actually tasted one, but they look revolting.
W. What makes you run late: My husband.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: My teeth?
Y. Yummy food that you make: Man, I make lots of yummy food. My husband is partial to my creamy& spicy linguine with scallops & shrimp.
Z. Zoo animal: Monkeys.

Visiting Santa

2011-12-05T15:20:00.004-05:00

Our visit with Santa this year couldn't have gone any smoother. No tears were shed and Justin and I walked out of there with two very happy little boys.

When we arrived at the mall, there wasn't a single soul in line waiting to see Santa. He waved to Luke and Nolan as they approached his chair.

Nolan walked up to the big guy and held out his arms for Santa to lift him into his lap. So different from last year!! Santa scooped up my little guy and had a few quiet moments with him while I was getting Luke out of the stroller.

Luke approached Santa on a mission. As he was walking up to him, Santa held out his hand for a hand shake and Luke looked up into his eyes and said, "I want drums." My little guy doesn't mess around! Santa laughed, suggested ear plugs for mommy & daddy then asked the boys if they've been good this year. Nolan didn't hesitate, "yes!" he told him.

Santa 2009

Santa 2010 -- so funny!

Santa 2011 -- they've gotten so big!

Grinch, Christmas Trees and the Nativity

2011-12-02T16:36:00.002-05:00

I feel like so much is happening at once and I just need to get it all out.

This past Monday, I was woke early (surprise, surprise) and was enjoying a cup of coffee in my kitchen while catching up on the news. The next thing I knew, I heard a door open upstairs then Nolan was standing beside me saying, "Good morning, I let myself out, mommy." I tried not to laugh, but it was so sweet. He led me back upstairs to get Luke, who was still in his crib. It's definitely time for big boy beds. So much for my waiting until they were 3 theory!

I was nervous about how the boys would treat the ornaments on our Christmas tree, but now that it's been up for a week, I can honestly say that they've been fantastic and haven't taken a single one off.

The train under the tree is a different story. I left the room for a few minutes only to return to tracks scattered across the room.

When I took out the Christmas decorations, Nolan came across his picture with Santa last year where he was crying. He found it fascinating and loves telling everyone that he was 'sad' last year. We haven't been to visit with Santa yet, but both of my boys are ready to tell the big guy what they would like to see under the tree. Luke wants a guitar and Nolan wants drums.

Grammie came over the other day to do arts and crafts with the boys and I. She had gathered some pine cones and bought spray glue and glitter so that we could decorate them. It was a mess, but they had fun decorating!

The boys have 2 favorite Christmas movies that I have seen COUNTLESS times since before Thanksgiving: How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Polar Express. I could recite both movies in my sleep.

Santa sent us an Elf on the Shelf on Thanksgiving and the boys (ahem, daddy & I) named him Neville in honor of Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter. He's been keeping a watchful eye on Luke and Nolan every day.

Nolan loves to hold Baby Jesus from our nativity set. He says "oooh, Baby Jesus," then he'll give me Mary and tell me that she's "Baby Jesus' Mommy." So sweet! At this very moment, he just picked up Baby Jesus and said "are you okay, baby?" and then he picked up Mary and said "I make it all better" then picked up the lamb and said "the mommy is a girl." **I'm so glad I have my laptop at the very moment he's touching the nativity.**

It has been insanely warm around here considering it was November, but you won't find me complaining. I was able to do a few successful photo shoots (Click Here to see my photo blog!) and get pictures for our family Christmas card! This was no small task considering it's nearly impossible to get my boys to sit still or even look anywhere near my camera.

So, what's new?

2011-11-17T13:34:00.003-05:00

So, what's been going on with us?

Let's start with me. I've been taking photos...a lot of them. This whole photography thing has really gotten a hold of me and I'm exploring different ideas. Here's my photo blog! I have a couple of shoots coming up that I am looking forward to!

Oh look, it's me and my camera!

I had such a hard time deciding on which picture to use on my photo blog.
Feel free to vote for your favorite one!!

This is the one I'm currently using...

Next up: I had my sewing class! I made a pillow case. I know that this sounds simple to probably about 95% of the population, but for me it was a HUGE deal. I didn't even know what a bobbin was. Now I do AND, I know how to thread one! I can just feel my Grammie smiling down on me from heaven!

Now, let's talk about my husband, Justin. He started a new position within his company a couple of months ago and things are coming along nicely! Oh, and he VOLUNTEERED to cook Thanksgiving dinner for our families this year. Am I a lucky girl, or what?! He even picked out the menu himself. It's pinned to our refrigerator and everything!

He and I decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving every year. A couple of years we actually decorated Thanksgiving night because we were too excited to wait. We're both really amped up about it this year because the kids actually grasp the concept of Christmas. Last Saturday night, the four of us were sitting home on Friday night in our sweats and Justin suggested we head over to Lowes to look at the Christmas decorations. It was such a random thing to do, but Luke and Nolan were in heaven! They were fascinated by all the Santas and reindeer!

We booked our plane tickets for Disney World in February! Woo Hoo!!! It's such a relief to actually have started planning that vacation. Although, I suspect that I won't really do too much more until after the holidays.

Nolan and Luke are awesome!! They have their 'moments' that drive me craze like every other two year old in the world, but for the most part, they're just a lot of fun! Every day is just a flurry of 'boy' things like wrestling, playing with trucks, knocking each other off their tricycles...you know, the usual.

Fishing!

Until next time....

Busy November

2011-11-09T07:42:00.002-05:00

For whatever reason, June is always an extremely busy month for me and my family. Every weekend is filled with birthday parties, BBQs, parties or going to the beach. That's the way I feel about this November: our weekends are fully booked and with Justin traveling during the week - we are pressed for time.

I was asked to shoot a friend of a friend's engagement pictures which is a huge honor (and compliment!) so I am preparing for that. I'm also doing a family portrait session with a high school friend and her newborn son. I never imagined that someone would ask me to take their photographs, but I will do my absolute best to make them happy.

We had absolutely nothing particular to do this past weekend, so we all enjoyed it at home with each other. Brenda came over on Friday night to hang out with the boys and I while Justin was on his way home from Raleigh. We played with my little guys then watched a chick flick. I love relaxing nights with friends!

On Saturday and Sunday we chilled out around the house and celebrated Mom Mom's birthday.
I cleaned the house from top to bottom and pulled out my fall decoration box which is filled with turkeys, pumpkins and leaves. The boys tore through that box saying, "Christmas!"

Not just yet, little guys! Soon though!

Loading the Cozy Coupe up with sticks and leaves!

The faces that Luke makes crack me up sometimes. He's so expressive - just like me!

Halloween Night

2011-11-03T08:18:00.002-04:00

Justin, the boys and I were all very excited about trick or treating on Halloween Night. We had been practicing our pirate "arrrrg," and saying, "trick or treat." When I pulled the pirate costumes out of the closet, the boys became very excited and couldn't wait to put them on.

I rummaged through my own closet at the last moment in search of a Momma Pirate costume and my little guys thought it was pretty funny that their mom was wearing a bandanna just like them.

Mom Mom, Poppy and Grammie joined us then we were off!

Arrrrg!

One very happy pirate!

Luke really enjoyed the decorations that night and frequently stopped on neighbor's lawns so that he could look at their lights or spooky decorations.

There were only a couple of times where the boys were leary of a scary costume or a haunted house with spooky noises, but for the most part, they had a great time and loved being outside and receiving candy.

I carried a tote bag with me so that I could periodocally empty out their little trick or treat bags into mine. Well, Nolan wasn't having any of that. He would say, "mommy, no, my candy!"

Nolan counted his lolly pops!

Our spoils!

October Snow

2011-10-30T21:28:00.003-04:00

Well, it snowed. In October! It wasn't enough to cause any problems, but it did keep us cooped up in the house, so come this morning we wanted to get the little guys (and ourselves) outside to get some fresh air.

It was a gorgeous day! Crisp, but not too cold -- my kinda weather. There was some snow on the grass and my little guys were infatuated!

I love seeing them so happy!

I made it into a picture (and apparently need to lint roll my coat).

We came back to the house and spent the rest of the day relaxing. It's WaWa "Gobbler" season, so Justin and I had them for lunch. I need to get my fill in because we only get them for a month!

Tomorrow is Halloween and we are ready for it! We went to Boo at the Zoo last weekend and the boys were able to practice their trick or treating. Nolan was particularly happy that strangers were giving him candy.

They've perfected their pirate "aaarrrrggg," so we're ready for tomorrow!

cooler.

2011-10-30T21:23:00.002-04:00

It's cold enough for footy pajamas!

For the past two nights, the boys have worn their footy PJs and for the past two nights we have had to go into the boys' room to find them in their cribs with only diapers on.

Those darn zippers.

They have also started wearing their hats & mittens around the house...just because they can.

2011-10-19T12:03:00.003-04:00

Nolan and I were sitting on the sofa watching 'The Lion King' and we were talking about baby Simba when he put his hand on my leg and said, "I love babies, mommy."

"Oh really," I replied, "which baby do you love?"

"Luke. And Jake," he told me.

It's funny that he views his twin brother as a baby. I had to laugh and try to explain to him again that Luke is his twin brother and not his baby brother. Just like Jeffrey and Jason from Caillou.

I wonder if he still feels the same way even when Luke pins him down while they wrestle?

Linvilla Orchards

2011-10-18T15:14:00.002-04:00

We did our annual trip to Linvilla Orchards this past Saturday for some pumpkins, apple-picking and hayrides. Well, this year the apple-picking didn't happen due to low crop, but we did have fun doing other fun things!

During our ride to the orchard, the boys kept telling me that they wanted to see lions at their petting zoo.

The best I could do was some goats. Sorry, kids.

The boys picked (and ate) some strawberries.

Notice the little boy bite mark taken out of this strawberry?

Mabel, Vince and some of her grand kids joined us for the day. I'm so proud of Mabel for kicking cancer in the ass and doing it with style.

Don't you love her newly-grown hair?! Gorgeous!

Uncle Jonny and Aunt Terri met up with us for the hayride. Jake kept us all entertained during the ride. This little guy is probably one of the happiest children I have ever met. He is always smiling and laughing!

Huckelberry Grammie.

Huckelberry Nolan.

I had a great time this year, but next fall, I might try and go on a Friday or Monday in hopes that it will be much less crowded.

Two Boys

2011-10-18T11:13:00.004-04:00

I have been following Whitney's blog for a few years now and she recently found out she was having another little boy in addition to her son, Levi, who is close in age to my boys.

There is something she wrote today that really hit home with me because it has been said to me numerous times.

It is in regards to the fact that I have two boys and not a daughter.

I'm know that when it was being said, it wasn't meant as offensive, but I can't help but take it to heart a little bit because of the fact that my heart is complete with my two boys.

I am happy and proud to be the mother of my two sons and the fact that I don't have a daughter doesn't bother me in the least. Really.

If I were to get pregnant again and again and have a whole litter of little boys, I wouldn't (even for a single second) feel that I was unfulfilled because I don't have a little girl to put dresses on.

I love thinking about the future and the fact that they will most likely be the best man for each other's weddings. I know that they will be best friends. They love each other so much already - I see it every day. They will have each other to stand by as they grow and nothing could make me happier.

Mish Mash

2011-10-14T07:21:00.003-04:00

I haven't really felt compelled to blog lately because nothing particularly special has been going on. We're gearing up for the holidays and I hope to work in a trip to Ohio to visit my parents and brothers. We're approaching our favorite time of the year!

I am taking a sewing class in a couple of weeks that I hope to actually put to some good use! I've been wanting to do this for a few years, but I've never found a class close by that I could participate in until Momma V suggested Joann Fabrics. I called up the very next day and discovered that they do offer classes!

We're headed out to the apple orchard tomorrow to ride the hayride with the boys and do some apple picking. I have no clue what I'm going to do with an entire bushel of apples, so I'm hoping that some people are willing to take some off of our hands. Last year we ate as many as we could and made baked apples with the rest.

Here are some pictures from earlier this week.

And Luke wearing one of my headbands.

our favorite past-time

2011-10-11T11:32:00.002-04:00

It seems like all the boys and I do lately is spend time at the park. We go a lot. It's a great way for them to burn off some of their (seemingly endless) energy.

Luckily, daddy was able to join us at the park this past Friday after we took the boys to the pediatrician's office for flu shots. Luke was very inquisitive about why we were visiting the doctor and he stuck very close to my side while in the office.

Nolan was the first to get the shot and he wimpered for a second before telling his daddy, "I'm oh-kay, daddy." Luke, on the other hand, insisted on watching the nurse inject him and cried for about 20 minutes. I felt so bad for my little bugger, so I stuck right by his side at the park that afternoon.

On Saturday, I took the boys to Grammie & Pop's house to spend the night so that Justin and I could drive up to visit Aunt Erin & Uncle Tom in their new house. We spent the day talking and laughing and I told Erin about my love affair with Pinterest and my quest to become a crafty woman.

I've got just 2 more weeks until my very first sewing lesson and I'm really looking forward to it. I have visions of myself making Nolan and Luke's halloween costumes and curtains and pillows for my house. I'll consider it a success if I can manage to properly hem my pants.

Potty Training Fail

2011-10-04T11:12:00.003-04:00

I swore up and down a river that I was going to have my boys potty trained after this past weekend. I was completely ready to go after reading the 3 day potty training manual. We had nothing planned for this weekend and I was convinced that my boys were going to pick up on it after a few days.

I was prepared for the event and had loads of underpants for the boys, two potty chairs, stickers, treats...the boys even helped me throw away all of their un-used diapers. I was ready to go.

I was ready to go. My boys weren't.

I won't go into details, but they made it perfectly clear to me that they were absolutely not having any of this potty business just yet. We'll be waiting a while before trying again!

Now that they were back in diapers, we were no longer prisoners in our house so my little guys and I went to the park and I helped them forget about their traumatic morning of (not) potty training.

On Saturday, Poppy came over to help daddy do some brick and paver work on our front wall and walkway. Nolan and Luke LOVED 'helping' and feeling like they were included in such a manly project.

Spooktacular

2011-09-28T13:15:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was jam-packed with fun, but the highlight of the weekend, for me, was visiting Sesame Place for their Spooktacular event. (I never thought I'd ever say that).

Justin and I took the boys on Sunday morning before the Eagles game from 10 to 12. The park was empty and we were able to ride every ride (except the roller coaster) and spend a long time in the play area.

This is what Nolan talked about for the rest of the day -- the fire engine.

This picture is blurry because the ride was moving, but Luke is a carousel champ. Nolan, for some reason, hates carousels and refuses to ride them.

Nolan does like the Flying Elmo Fish ride though!

This is the play area that occupied Luke for about 45 minutes. He took his love of stacking to a whole new level this day! He was very defensive of his "castle" and informed any child who wanted to take some of the blocks that they were part of his castle.

Bouncy Land -- Nolan played in here while Luke was stacking.

Cell Phone Picture! It's proof of Luke's love for stacking (he's hidden behind the blocks). I'm in the picture so that Luke doesn't yell at the litle girl for touching "his" blocks. He was actually very sweet when she came over to play -- I was very proud of him!

As we were getting ready to leave, we saw Bert & Ernie and the best part about it was....there was NO LINE to see them! I love off-season park visits!

lazy weekend morning

2011-09-25T21:45:00.003-04:00

We kept ourselves pretty busy this weekend, but Saturday morning was a quiet, lazy morning. We all slept in late (for us), laid in bed watching cartoons for a little while until I made us all a pancake breakfast.

While I was cooking, my two cuddle bugs grabbed one of my clean, folded sheets from the laundry basket and covered themselves while they watched Caillou.

I love that they love being together.

2 Years, 3 Months

2011-09-22T07:18:00.002-04:00

The boys are 27 months old today and keep their daddy and I in a constant state of laughter (inter-mixed with some frustration, but that's a different story). Justin and I were talking last night about how in love we are with our two boys as we shared some of the funny things they've been doing or saying lately. The idea of having another little one around the house is definitely on our minds.

Justin took the boys for hair cuts yesterday and Nolan was so much braver this time around when it came time for the clippers. He didn't shy away at all.

Text picture from Grammie (before their haircut).

Nolan and Luke have a fascination with construction sites and bulldozers. They love to point them out to me as we drive past one.

I plan on potty training beginning next weekend because I don't have anything special planned and can stay close to home. Every time I ask the boys if they want to use the potty, they tell me, "no." I've tried everything I can to make using the potty seem like it's the "cool" thing to do: Caillou uses the potty; Daddy & Mommy do too; you get to wear big boy underpants! Nothing seems to work.

Ever since Pop got a Harley, Luke and Nolan have been eyeing up motorcycles. Grammie even bought them little motor cycles with riders on them. These might be their new favorite toys.

The boys love mornings that Mom Mom & Poppy take them to McDonalds for breakfast. Nolan eats pancakes and eggs while Luke eats as many sausages as he possibly can. Speaking of food, cheesy scrambles eggs and sausage just might be their favorite meal. If they're ever given a choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this is almost always what Nolan asks for.

There was a time (from 12 to about 20 months old) when Luke really didn't want to be touched by Nolan. The'd play together, but Luke didn't really want Nolan to invade his personal space, but now Luke LOVES playing closely with Nolan. They play 2-man ring around the rosey, they hold hands, they tackle and wrestle. I could go on and on...it's something I love to watch!

Both boys still want to be dressed alike. If I have to change one of their shirts because they spilled something on it, his brother will want his shirt changed too. The only thing they don't mind wearing differently is pajamas.

Bath time has become much, much harder than it used to. I have to use 3 bath towels: one for each boy and one to sop up all the water that inevitable ends up all over the bathroom floor.

Halloween is right around the corner and 'tis the season of pumpkin patches, apple picking, hayrides, orange & red leaves and, of course, trick or treating. I showed my boys pictures of themselves from last year in their Halloween costumes as I tried to explain trick or treating to them. The Philly Zoo and Sesame Place have month-long Halloween festivities, so we have a fun-filled month ahead of us!

Phillies Weekend!

2011-09-18T21:37:00.003-04:00

We had a very busy weekend and I'm exhausted tonight, but it was all worth it. On Friday afternoon, Justin and I took the boys out to run some errands and we stopped by a park before packing it in for the night.

We made the boys favorite dinner -- turkey tacos. I didn't have a taco until I was 16 (crazy, I know) so I'm happy that my little men like them so much!

I quickly realized after it started getting very chilly out that I was totally unprepared for the fall weather as far as my boys were concerned. Mom Mom had bought the boys some pants and shirts, but we definitely needed more, so I ran out while they were taking a nap on Saturday and spent a pretty penny on some new duds for my little guys.

After they woke from their nap, we took them to Grammie & Pop's house to spend the night because Justin and I had tickets to the Phillies game with Chica & Eric. This was our first time this year going to the game as a foursome!

It was very chilly, but the tailgating was fun and we made some fun new friends!

We picked a great night for a game because the Phils clinched the 2011 NL East!!

I picked the boys up early from Grammie & Pop's house and we went home to visit with Mom Mom, Poppy and Aunt Christa before heading out to the zoo for the afternoon.

This was their first time going to the zoo where they were both really excited about seeing animals. Nolan was psyched to see the monkeys while Luke kept saying from the back seat, "sssh, be quiet, animals sleeping." Even when we got to the zoo he would tell me to be quiet because the animals were asleep!

It was a long and busy weekend and I'm looking forward to a day alone tomorrow with my little guys to wind-down -- as much as I possibly can with two two year olds!

Chilly Morning

2011-09-16T13:21:00.002-04:00

We woke up to a gorgeous and chilly morning, so after we had breakfast, we drove to the park.

Luke immediately asks to swing and I'm always happy to oblige!

Look how happy it makes him!

Nolan stuck to the big swing but quickly decided that he'd rather push Luke higher!

Nolan found a couple of sticks and began banging them on the ground. I asked if he was playing the drums and he said, "no mommy, I'm cooking." "What are you cooking, buddy?" I asked, "hamburgers," is what he told me.

There's a 9/11 Memorial at the park and this was the reason I brought my camera with me. The boys, Grammie and I had visited earlier in the week and the boys LOVED running through the flags, but this morning, they really didn't have much interest in them.

I thought it was a nice way to remember the victims of September 11th on the 10 year anniversary.

Last night, before bed time, a rainbow appeared in the sky. The four of us went out front and we (I) sung the rainbow song.

We're enjoying the beautiful day with our windows open!

Colorado

2011-09-13T08:25:00.002-04:00

I absolutely fell in love with Colorado during my visit for our friends Tom & Erin's wedding. Not only was it absolutely gorgeous, but the people were incredibly friendly and downtown Denver was so clean. When you come from Philadelphia, it's things like that that really impress you. If we weren't so attached to our family, Justin and I would love to take the boys out there and live for a few years.

On the morning of the wedding, Justin and I went for a hike with his cousin and girlfriend. The view was gorgeous.

The wedding was held at sunset and Erin and Tom looked beautiful. The ceremony was the most touching and personal ceremony I had ever witnessed. I loved every minute!

Tom has been Justin's best friend since grade school so he acted as his Best Man for the day.

The view was breath-taking.

On Sunday, we went to a Rockies game at Coors Field. The stadium is very similar to Citizens Bank Park in Philly, but the view was a little different!

Needless to say, I had a blast but couldn't wait to get home to my boys. Mom Mom and Poppy stayed with them for the long weekend and I know that they all had so much fun together!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2011-09-08T08:31:00.002-04:00

The rain has been never-ending. Roads are flooded, our roof is leaking (good times) and my boys haven't been able to play outside at all this week because of the mud pit that is our back yard.

I long for sunny, warm days.

I had a half hour to kill yesterday after work while I was waiting for Justin and the boys to arrive home. We had a brief break in the rain and the sun was actually shining just a bit. I went out front to take some pictures of raindrops in our garden. I use the term 'garden' very loosely. I live in the city, yall, so it's just a (very) small patch of grass & a flower bed.

This looks very peaceful and serene, no? I bet you'd never guess that my stoner neighbor was in his garage not 10 feet from me doing something that makes me call him my 'stoner' neighbor.

He's quite nice family man actually, it's just that he's a stoner. Whatever gets you through the day, I guess.

Since we are all stuck indoors, we wrestle and play ring around the rosie.

The boys are VERY into wresting at the moment. They often tug on my arm and say, "mommy, lay down," then they proceed to jump on me.

Story Time

2011-09-07T09:34:00.002-04:00

Oh, I have been slacking. Labor Day weekend went by and not one single picture was taken by me. Instead, I focused on something else very important: food.

I ate my way through the long weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. Justin and I spent Saturday night in Old City with friends eating BBQ at a restaurant we had never been to before. From there, we went on to have cocktails and people-watch at Cuba Libre and The Plough.

We actually tried to go to a bar that we used to enjoy pre-children, Tangerine, but we found the doors locked (with the lights on). A girl walking by, 'tsk'ed' at us and said, "Tangerine has been closed for like a year." Like we should have known. I guess it's our fault we don't get out much.

We didn't stay out too late because I had to be up and in the kitchen the following morning for the little bbq we were having at our house. The 4 hours I spent in the kitchen was well worth it beacause I had a great time with our friends and family!

Nolan and Luke make me laugh so hard. They were so engaged with everyone at the bbq; talking, playing ring-a-rosie (as they call it) and showing off. I spend so much time with them that it's interesting to see how the interract with people that they don't see on a daily basis. They make me really proud.

Grammie took them to Story Time yesterday so she sent me some cell phone pictures of my little guys enjoying a Thomas book and coloring.

Justin and I will be in Colorado for the weekend attending our friends' wedding. I've never visited there before and am really looking forward to the celebrations!

Pop's Harley

2011-09-02T08:37:00.002-04:00

Pop got himself a Harley and we can hear him coming from a mile away. Any time the boys hear a loud motorcycle, they say, "Pop motorcycle," and look for him out the window for him.

Luke is also a fan of Pop's dirt bike, but Nolan prefers to look at the bikes from a distance.

I think Nolan looks so much like his daddy in this picture.

His love of his drum sticks still continues!

He has also started calling me 'Momma' starting a few days ago.

My boys LOVE Caillou and will not peel their eyes from the tv for anything when it's on!

Kay-rons

2011-09-01T07:54:00.002-04:00

I got a text from my mom the other day which included this picture.

Someone used his crayons (or kay-rons, as Nolan likes to call them) to color Pop's snare drum. All was okay after Grammie used the Magic Eraser!

Hurricane Irene

2011-09-01T07:31:00.002-04:00

Hurricane Irene hit our area last Saturday into Sunday. Thankfully, all was okay in our area. We had a few fallen tree limbs in our neighborhood and some power failure, but luckily, everything was okay with our home.

We figured that since we'd be cooped up in the house all weekend, we'd have some house guests to keep us company so Aunt Chica and Uncle Eric came over early Saturday afternoon and, as always, we had a blast. Nolan and Luke were tuckered out when it was bed time from all of the fun we had that afternoon!

We caught rain drops and watched the storm from our windows.

Our neighbor's back yard almost always looks like a swamp every time it rains and I guess the giant puddle looked very tempting to my best friend.

We always try to make the best of a bad situation!

Beach Vacation Part 2

2011-08-30T13:15:00.002-04:00

We awoke to a beautiful morning on Wednesday so we all had an early breakfast before heading to the boardwalk to ride the surreys.

Even though it was too early for Wonderland Pier to open, the boys were asking to go on the rides and the "ferry wheel."

We knew that Hurricane Irene was going to hit the Jersey shore early on Sunday morning, but there were no talks about evacuations at this point, so we were still going about your vacation. After all, it was gorgeous and we wanted to spend more time in the ocean.

Someone took his love for the sand a little too seriously.

Christa, Charlie, Justin, myself and the boys stayed in that night, had dinner, had some drinks and played cards while Mom Mom & Poppy went to Atlantic City for a night out with their friends.

When we woke on Thursday morning, I was excited because Aunt La La (Lisa) was coming down to spend the day with us. The problem was that there were thunderstorms that were supposed to be rolling in. We went to the beach for a little while (while Justin golfed) until we were rained out.

Aunt La La was a lot of fun to play around with but, like I said, it was rainy, so we didn't last on the beach for too long.

We went home after a while and hung out at the house until the men returned from golfing. By this point, the Governer of NJ said that they wanted people out of Ocean City by Friday night which meant we needed to cut our vacation short by a day.

There were still some things we wanted to do on the boardwalk, so Justin and I packed the boys up and off we went.

As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, the rain started to fall, but I was hell-bent on having our yearly "Old Time Photos" taken, so we dashed down the boardwalk to the photo shop. We were all wet from the rain. There were probably 40 people crammed into this little studio because of the rain so we headed another block down to Wonderland so that the boys could go on a few rides. That's where I ran into a blog reader -- hello friend!!

We managed to make it back to the photo place to have the picture done with very few tears. The Nolan was NOT enjoying it at all!

After we returned home, Justin and I got ready for a night out in Atlantic City. A storm had rolled in and people were evacuating in preparation for Sunday's hurricane. We didn't plan on leaving until the following afternoon (Friday) because we had heard that the weather was going to be gorgeous and we hoped to spend the morning on the beach.

This is a blackberry picture of the storm over AC. There was some pretty incredible lightning!

We enjoyed our night out at the Borgata -- we had dinner at Old Homestead and played some roulette before heading back to the house. The rain had stopped by the time we left which was good for us!

Friday morning was absolutely gorgeous -- the perfect beach day!

Unfortunately (but better safe than sorry), the beach patrol rode down the beach and kicked us off stating that there were mandatory evacuations effective immediately. We had known that we needed to be off the island by evening, but I guess they wanted to get everyone off the beach earlier.

We went back to the house, packed everything very quickly and were out the door by noon. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get home which I didn't think was too bad considering the traffic!

We went to the grocery store that night back home and I couldn't believe the crowds. There was no bread on the shelves! By this point, they had down-graded the storm to a Category 1 and I thought everyone was being a little too over-cautious, but whatever gets you through the day, right?

We spent that night relaxing and listening to Nolan and Luke telling us everything they did at the beach. "Cars, bike, shovel, bucket, boat, train, water, beach."

We had a fun vacation and I was very happy that the boys enjoyed themselves!

Up next, our Hurricane Irene shindig!

OCNJ Beach Vacation - Part One

2011-08-29T11:03:00.004-04:00

We returned home a little bit early from our beach vacation because of Hurricane Irene, but we had a fantastic time nonetheless! We spent (almost) a week in Ocean City, New Jersey with Mom Mom, Poppy, Aunt Christa and Uncle Charlie in a lovely home on Asbury Avenue. When I hit the lottery some day (wishful thinking!), a beach house will be one of my first purchases!

We arrived on Saturday afternoon to a house full of our family. Nolan and Luke tore through the house exploring their new surroundings. They were especially excited about their bedroom and big boy beds which Mom Mom had already set up for them! I don't know what happened, but I can't find a single picture I took from our first day - including Aunt Brenda's birthday pictures! We had a very fun night celebrating Brenda's 30th birthday at her family's house.

The following morning (Sunday) was spent on the beach and afterwards, the boardwalk!
Look at that sky -- I thought that a huge storm would roll in, but we had a great day!

Now for some boardwalk pictures! My little guys were so excited!! Luke kept saying, "Look at that!" and pointing to different rides!

We spent Monday by the beach then Mike & Gloria came over and we had a delicious dinner at home.

Tuesday -- the men woke up and went golfing while the girls and my two little guys went to the beach. Mom Mom, the boys and myself, were all in the water and when we came out, Christa mentioned that she felt the ground shake. I didn't feel anything since I was in the ocean, but we saw a military helicopter fly down the beach then everyone started talking about the earthquake.

When the guys were finished golfing, they met us on the beach and we spent the rest of the afternoon boogie boarding and playing with Nolan and Luke.

After the beach, we went to the boardwalk again for some more rides, ice cream and french fries (all before dinner!).

Uncle Charlie met us by the rides and told us that a string band was out on the boardwalk.

My Luke boys love music!

Luke watching the string band.

Nolan dancing with daddy.

After the boardwalk, we went back home and Aunt Christa and Uncle Charlie made us some delicious tacos and margaritas! Christa makes the most delicious cocktails and has the blog to show it (here)! I can't even begin to tell you about the bloody marys -- to die for!

The rest of the week is to be continued later!

2011-08-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

While at Sesame Place this weekend, Grammie wanted to buy the boys a character plush.
Trying to get two two year old boys to pick just one was quite interesting.
Personally, I love the Count, but my mom wasn't offering to buy me one, so I left it up to the boys!

That's how Ernie and Elmo came home with us!

Nolie Guacamole

2011-08-16T12:50:00.002-04:00

I've been singing a special song to my Nolan since he was a few days old.

I like to make things rhyme.
What rhymes with Nolie?
Guacamole.

Roley poley Nolie
Sitting in a hole-y
Eating guacamole
and hangin' with his mom

And here is my little buddy eating some homemade guacamole like it's nobody's business!

Thursday Night at Sesame

2011-08-12T11:17:00.002-04:00

After work on Thursday, Justin and I took the boys to Sesame Place for a little while. The crowds were thinning out so we tried some amusement rides before hitting any water rides.

I don't take my Nikon camera with me because I'm petrified that something will happen to it, so all pictures are from the point & shoot.

Waiting in line!

After the ride, we went to the Splash Castle, but the water was freezing, so we stayed just long enough for Justin to ride a water slide.

I think that Luke's favorite thing about Sesame Place is all of the music that is constantly playing. Here he is busting a move!

Then we saw Bert & Ernie and, oh my goodness, were they excited!
The camera took forever to start, so Justin missed getting a picture of Nolan running into Ernie's arms. I felt like he didn't want to let him go!

They look a little miserable, but I think it's because the sun was in their eyes -- they were so excited to meet them!

After a while, it was time to go.

2011-08-07T18:41:00.002-04:00

The plan was to take the boys to Sesame Place this morning for a few hours but we nixed that idea after we were up half the night with two very sick little guys. We spent today confined to the house snuggling on the couch, wiping boogie noses and rubbing backs. I made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup on Friday afternoon so that I could give some to Mabel as she's recovering from her mastectomy and it's a good thing I made such a large pot, because the boys really needed it today.

Around 2:00, I was growing a bit stir-crazy and the boys' fevers died down, so I took them out in the yard for some fresh air. We lasted about 5 minutes before mosquitoes attached us.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing indoors, wiping noses and comforting our little guys.

We also snuck in some crabs!

I put them in their cribs at 6 p.m. and am praying for a halfway decent night of sleep!

First trip to Sesame Place

2011-08-06T06:58:00.006-04:00

Grammie and I took the boys to Sesame Place yesterday for their first time. I clocked the drive and it took 12 minutes -- I love that! Nolan and Luke were so excited as we walked through the gates and they pointed all the characters out to us.

The first water ride you see as you walk through the gates is the Rubber Ducky Sky Splash. There were no height requirements listed, so I guessed that it was okay for the boys so Grammie & I led the boys up the steps. They LOVED this ride!! After we were finished and went to hang out at one of the toddler pools, Luke kept wandering back to the Sky Splash saying, "mine."

I didn't bring a camera with me because I wanted to concentrate on the boys around all the water, but I think it'll be safe to bring it the next time. All of the pools come up to their knees. They weren't very fond of water splashing on them, so I was surprised that Nolan wanted to spend so much time at The Count's Splash Castle! Luke liked it too, but preferred to just stand in ankle-deep water and look at everyone. There was constant Sesame music playing and he loved dancing around!

We visited a few pools and had lunch before we saw the Monster Rock Concert. The look on my boys' faces when Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster & Zoe walked on the stage was priceless. It actually made me cry a little. They clapped their hands and Nolan danced a little bit during the concert.

I loved it so much that we're going back on Sunday for a couple of hours, but not before I head to NYC today to help my beautiful sister-in-law try on wedding gowns! I am so excited about that!!

Before I finish my post, I need to share some pictures of Luke from after his nap yesterday (after Sesame Place).

This boys' hair cracks me up!!!

If I blow dry it, it gets very curly and adorable!

Daddy is taking both boys to the hair dresser today to get a cut which they both desperately need!

Nighty-Night

2011-08-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Justin and I have never been the parents to read our boys a bed time story before they go to sleep. I know that some parents begin this the day their baby comes home, but we just never fell into that routine. That isn't to say that we don't read to the boys, we just don't include it as part of our bed time ritual.

Aunt Brenda actually jokes with me that she'll watch our boys any time because it's so easy and quick to put them to sleep! Tell them it's bed time; carry them to their room; put them in their crib and say 'good night.' Easy-peasy!

My hair looks very pretty, no?

Justin was traveling for work and the boys asked me to read their favorite book, 'Mother Goose.' I love this book because the pictures are just so beautiful and my boys love to point out different details like ladybugs or crickets that are very small. My sister was there and snapped a picture of us reading which I was really happy about because I don't think I have any pictures of that. It's the little things that make me happy.

Nolan is still "playing drums" every minute of the day. His drum sticks are actually sticks that actually came with my wok.

Weekend Recap - Ray's birthday & bachelor party

2011-08-02T10:42:00.003-04:00

We had a great time this weekend at Ray's 3rd birthday party at Burger King. Who knew that place was so much fun and had so much for kids to do? I now know my new winter-time hot spot to take the boys! Little Ray's mom, Stevie and I have been friends since high school. To make a long story short, I was kicked off the bus (don't ask) and had to make a long walk home. She got off the bus to walk with me because she felt bad and it was a friendship made in heaven!

Justin was hosting his best friend's bachelor party, so it was just the boys, myself and Aunt Chica for the day (and night).

Aunt Chica wasn't afraid to get down & dirty in the play land!

A party wouldn't be a party if Stevie was on time, so we played for a while until she and the man of the hour showed up to play!

The best part of the whole party....

I got to hold a baby!! Stevie's youngest, Kristyn was there.
I really miss holding and cooing (I actually just mis-typed "cooking!") a baby.
And, hands-down, my favorite picture of the day.....

Look at that devilish grin! Melts my heart! She was so sweet and didn't mind being passed from woman to woman. There definitely wasn't a shortage of arms to be in.

After BK, Aunt Chica & I took the boys to Target (where they were very good) and Boston Market (where they weren't so good) before heading back to her & Eric's apartment to eat our dinner.

I thought I gave Justin enough time to gather the bachelor party men before I headed home, but there were 15 guys hanging out at my house when I returned with my very tired little guys. Nolan & Luke brightened up immediately when they saw them all and they fit right in with the rest of the guys. They even "helped" carry a cooler out to the truck. Justin even mentioned that he thinks that our boys made a few of the single guys there want to have babies!

Things I've been meaning to do

2011-08-01T08:34:00.000-04:00

Begin working out again. It seems like whenever I have the free time, I'd rather spend it reading a book or watching Real Housewives of New Jersey than doing yoga or walking on the treadmill. I really need to get on top of this.

365 Project. In theory, this would help me become a better Mammarazzi photographer, but the thought of having to take and upload pictures every day is daunting. I might actually give this a shot though especially since my amazing step-mom, Colleen hooked me up with some sweet Nikon lenses that she no longer has a need for! (btw, I hate the term 'step-mom/dad.' I feel like I'm not doing justice to the incredible parents I had for helping raise me).

Sesame Place. I bought season passes, now I just need to put them to use. Every time I drive by, it's like a zoo in there...

Order a new dining room set. Justin has been telling me for months to pick out a new dining room table and chairs from Direct Buy. I don't know if you are familiar with DB, but for me, it's a giant pain in the dupa. But, I really need to replace the royal blue fabric dining room chairs that have been in my dining room for 5 years.

Big Boy Bedroom. Is it bad that my boys' bedroom is still decorated the same way that it was the day that they came home from the hospital? A lot of my blog friends have already transitioned their childrens' bedrooms into big boy or big girl bedrooms and I haven't even begun thinking about ours.

Book a facial. My pores have been begging me for one for a while.

Maybe actually writing these down will be some motivation for me to actually get some of my To-Do list done. Here's hoping!

hitting & hugging

2011-07-29T10:44:00.002-04:00

Why didn't anybody ever warn me about the terrible two's?

Just joking - everybody and their mother has told me, "just wait until you hit the terrible twos with two boys," as they looked at me with concern in their eyes. "We'll be fine," I'd reply as I brushed off their comment. I was blissfully unaware.

I'm not sure if this is the beginning of the TT's, but my little guys are certainly becoming defiant and love to tell me "no". And the hitting! Oh my goodness, the hitting is getting out of control.

I've begun giving them separate baths because if I keep them in the bathtub together and, heaven forbid, someone splashes some water into his brother's face, the face-smacking and kicking ensues. Then comes the tears and naked, soapy boys fighting over who gets out of the tub first.

It's just much easier to take the time and give them a bath one at a time. I don't mind that it takes twice as long!

The funny thing is that I've been catching Nolan give Luke a lot of hugs the past couple of nights but the strange thing was that Luke was upset when he did.

I then realized that Nolan wasn't hugging his brother but trying to squeeze him with all of his might. I'm guessing he thought he could disguise the fact that he was trying to torture his brother with a hug.

Just another thing for me to watch out for.

This is what bath time has looked like for the past couple of weeks.
One little guy in.
The other out.

I broke the rules this day since they were both relatively calm.
It lasted about 4 minutes.

something i love

2011-07-28T14:54:00.001-04:00

I'm not entirely happy with the focus on his eyelashes, but you get the gist.

Nolan's eyelashes...they're long and dark and I love 'em!

George

2011-07-27T16:00:00.000-04:00

Nolan and Luke have twin monkeys they call 'George.' They aren't actually Curious George monkeys, but I guess that's who they associate them with.

When they say 'George,' it's almost like they say it with an English accent.
"Jawge" is what it sounds like to me!

Luke is holding his George and Doggie. 'Doggie' is actually 'Max' from How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Nolan is holding his George and Tickle Monkey.

Breakfast

2011-07-27T07:28:00.002-04:00

Justin mentioned to me this past weekend that I haven't taken any recent pictures of the boys. I swear that if I don't have my camera with me at all moments, people begin to wonder what is wrong with me. I've actually been trying to take more videos of the boys than anything else because they are just so darn funny right now! The things that come out of their little mouths -- adorable!

Since it was just the boys and I alone on a very boring Monday morning, I pulled out the trusty camera to take some pictures of breakfast-time.

I don't know about other kids, but mine love breakfast. It's the one meal that I can get the both of them to eat an entire plate full of food.

Are you wondering why Nolan is holding tongs?
Me too.

Luke always eats the breakfast sausage first, then he goes for Nolan's plate and eats his as well.

Nolan is obsessed with waffles...and cereal.

I couldn't get either of them to take their eyes of Caillou, which has become their newest favorite show to watch. If I'm ever in a pinch and need to cook lunch or fold laundry, I put on Caillou. Don't judge!

Works of Art

2011-07-25T12:21:00.000-04:00

As you know, last week was their first at Kinder Camp and they had a lot of fun!

The best part of "school" as I call it, is their little works of art.

My fridge is covered!

2 Year Doctor Visit

2011-07-22T11:17:00.000-04:00

Here's the long and short of it:

Nolan is long. Luke is short.

Luke's weight: 24 lbs 2 oz -- 7th percentile.

Luke's height: 33.5" -- 21st percentile.

Luke's head: 48.3 cm -- 37th percentile.

BMI: 15.1 -- 12th percentile.

Nolan's weight: 27lbs 6oz -- 40th percentile.

Nolan's height: 35" -- 59th percentile.

Nolan's head: 47.6 cm -- 22nd percentile.

BMI: 15.7 -- 26th percentile.

I was fully expecting a temper tantrum when they saw the doctor because the last time we were there, they wanted nothing to do with the ear exam. This time around, they were both such big boys! No tears.

Next up: trying to keep them happy (and inside the house in the air conditioning) over the weekend because the temperature is going to be over 100 all weekend long. This may sound lame, but we're going to spend a few hours at Ikea at some point over the weekend. There's a great kid play space and lots for me to look at!

1st day at Kinder Camp

2011-07-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

Grammie had the boys go down for an early nap and she woke them at 12:45 for their first afternoon at Kinder Camp which started at 1:30. Nolan was excited and was clapping his hands and saying, "yea kids!" on the ride over to the camp.

Grammie said that everything happened quickly. They arrived and the boys took off to start playing with toys while the other kids arrived. Luke hung back a little bit while Nolan was playing with the blocks. After that, the teachers had all the adults leave so that there wouldn't be any meltdowns.

Two and a half hours later, the teacher told Grammie that both boys were very good and there weren't any tears.

My mom even witnessed the boys helping to clean up then the teacher asked the kids to head over to their spot at the table. Luke and Nolan walked over like good little boys and sat in their chairs. When the parents & grandparents came into the room, Luke held up his picture for Grammie and was so proud!

I have to be honest: I was stressed out over today. I woke at 3 a.m. and my heart began beating fast and I couldn't get my mind off of the fact that I was putting the boys into someone else's care. This is no big deal for most parents, but it was the first time I had done it, so I was nervous, but I knew that they'd have a great time when all was said and done.

Tomorrow is Teddy Bear Day and the kids get to bring their favorite teddy with them!

The Great Skunk Hunt of 2011

2011-07-19T08:34:00.002-04:00

Last month, Justin and I noticed that our motion lights would go off in our yard at night at random times. Finally, one day, we saw a chubby and adorable little skunk. Then she ran under our shed. Lovely.

We left her alone for a while until we noticed last week that she had some babies who would run along side her.

Cute, no?
What isn't so cute is our fried lawn. That summer sun can be brutal.

The skunks were cute until one of them sprayed Tank last Thursday night while Justin and I were having dinner with friends in the city. We got a call from Mom Mom & Poppy with that fun news. We realized we needed to safely evict them and move them to a much more skunk-friendly area at a park.

The Great Skunk Hunt of 2011 commenced.
We set up two traps in hopes of catching the mom & her babies.
Score!

Mom Mom, Nolan, Luke and I watched from the safety of our kitchen. The boys were VERY into the skunk hunt (but not as much as Mom Mom & I)!

Justin and Poppy were face to face with their captive.

How do we get this tarp on her without her spraying us?!

I love that Justin's wearing my cleaning gloves and Poppy is carring my boys' dollar store rakes.

They finally got the tarp over her and she was safely taken to the park. Her babies followed this morning.

When Luke woke up on Monday morning, he asked me, "gunks?"
He must have really liked the morning entertainment!

Nolan and his Drums

2011-07-19T08:22:00.002-04:00

Pop is a drummer and has had my boys sitting on his lap while he plays since they were old enough to hold their heads up.

Nolan particularly likes drumming. So much so that he takes just about anything in pairs and turns them into his own personal drum sticks. Lately, it's been my makeup brushes. They are in his hands at all times: playing in the pool; while taking bath; while driving in the car, you get the point.

Pop will be happy to know that he doesn't randomly bang the drum sticks, he actually counts out the beats. "One, one, two," he'll say mimicking his Pop!

Beach Bums

2011-07-13T08:55:00.002-04:00

Confession: I'm addicted to the beach so I took the boys (again) to Ocean City on Monday with Grammie and Aunt Chica.

They both start Kinder Camp next week (which is a big step for me), so I thought it would be fun to squeeze in some extra ocean time before we start.

We woke up on Monday morning and I told them that we were going to the beach so Nolan grabbed his water shoes and brought them to me (he's learning!). They were also pretty excited that they had bathing suits that looks just like one their daddy owns.

One the ride down they had a ham and cheese hoagie and we sung songs and talked about what we were going to do once we arrived.

There were loads of other children for the boys to look at and play with, but they mostly wanted to play with us. At two different times, I took just one of the boys and we went for a walk down the beach. Nolan wanted to jump off the rocks (which was a lot of fun!) and Luke wanted to be held as I pointed out different things like seagulls, the ferris wheel or other kids playing with their families.

At one point, Luke was eating a cheeze-it and he dropped it. A seagull came and snatched it out of the sand and Luke said, "My cheezie." He was genuinely upset that the seagull came and took his snack! After that, when he'd see a bird, he'd say, "bad bird!" and chase after it until it flew away.

I was a nice afternoon, but it's a lot of work lugging two boys, plus beach chairs, an umbrella, drinks, snacks and sand toys to the beach for just one day! Justin says that I over-pack, but I think that those are essentials!

Kinder Camp is next week and I am trying to mentally prepare myself for it. It is only 3 days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day, but it's a big step for me to put my trust in someone I don't know to watch after my guys. Deep breaths. They're going to have a great time playing with other kids their age!

Beach Day

2011-07-10T20:57:00.000-04:00

We hadn't been to the beach in a few weeks, so we were due for some sun and sand! Justin and I packed the boys up early on Saturday and met Aunt Chica and Uncle Eric in Wildwood. My little guys skipped their naps, but were pretty good considering!

Nolan was happy to see the ocean.

Uncle Eric helped us build sandcastles all day long!

Aunt Chica loved playing in the waves with Luke!

Luke is crazy about the water. He would just wander off and head into the ocean -- no fear whatsoever! Good thing his momma watches him like a hawk!

We went to Aunt Chica's parents' house in Cape May for some dinner after playing at the beach all day. It was a very nice way to unwind!

We're heading back to the beach tomorrow before I need to start another work week!

4th of July

2011-07-08T14:03:00.002-04:00

We arrived home from Vegas late on July 3rd and spent the 4th BBQ'ing at Mom Mom & Poppy's house! We had the BEST BBQ ribs I have ever tasted and lots of laughs. The boys were very clingy because we were away from them for a few days, but it was very nice and welcomed.

Nolan was like a little water bug and just wanted to be in the big pool whereas Luke preferred to play with the hose in the little pool.

They like swimming in their underwear!

Ever since he was a puppy, Tank has hated motorized toys! If he sees this boat (even on the deck) he growls at it!

Adult Trip -- Las Vegas

2011-07-08T08:52:00.002-04:00

I've been away from the blogosphere for over a week now, but for good reason. Last week, Justin and I took a 4 night trip to Vegas! It was our first time there and we definitely made the best of it.

The boys stayed home and split their time between Mom Mom & Poppy and Grammie & Pop. It was great to be able to call home and speak with them while we were away. I love hearing their sweet voices! We have amazing parents who allow us to have these get-aways!

The first night we were there, it was just the two of us. We had dinner at Olives in the Bellagio then went to see Cirque du Soleil's 'O" before heading back to our hotel (Caesars).

The next day, we met up with our friends, Mike & Layna and did quite a bit of bar-hopping and site seeing!! It was a little overwhelming for me because there was SO much to see and do.

The next night was dinner at Koi then The Bank at the Bellagio where I saw Gretchen & Slade from RHOOC and Criss Angel . Slade was such a sweetie!

We had fun chillin' by the pool, even though it was 115 degrees one day -- yowza. It was a fun trip, but I was ready to go home. I really missed the boys and needed to get back to them for my own sanity!

Our hotel

Beautiful view from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Birthday Party

2011-06-27T13:10:00.002-04:00

Saturday was Nolan & Luke's 2nd Birthday party. We had our immediate family and friends over to celebrate. All of the kids had a great time and so did I!

G-Mom & G-Pop Ohio & Uncle Zach & Uncle Josh came into town the night before so we squeezed in a little extra quality time!

Aunt Terri made the birthday cake this year! Not only was it adorable, but it tasted delicious as well!

The Jump-o-lene was a huge hit with the little ones!
The boys woke up the morning of their party and started asking me, "jumpolene?"

Tank's doggie door is very useful...

Luke made his rounds with everyone like a good host while Nolan manned the jump-o-lene!

Cake Time!!!

Our attempt at taking a "cousin" picture. We couldn't get Jake to join Ryan, Nolan & Luke, wo we took a picture with the parents as well!!

Not only was it fun for the kids, but the adults had fun too!!

After the majority of our guests left, we went inside to wind-down and open some presents. They had so much fun!

They went to sleep at 8:45 p.m. and slept until 8:45 the following morning. They woke up and asked for their new bubble mowers! It was a great weekend!

Birthday Continued

2011-06-23T13:11:00.002-04:00

Mom Mom, Poppy, Grammie, Pop & Aunt Danielle joined us for dinner and ice cream cake to celebrate Nolan & Luke's 2nd Birthday.

We started out with some presents

Some pre-dinner snacks with mommy!

Then it was time to show the boys their "big" gift from Mommy & Daddy.

Nolan's face LIT UP when he saw the table. Luke passed Nolan on the steps so that he could be the first to play!

After playing for a while, it was time for ice cream cake and some singing.

Clearly, someone liked being sung to!

Time to blow out the candles.

Now, we can eat!!

After cake, we spent quite a while playing with our new toys before bath & bed. I thought that they'd sleep late the following morning since they went to bed around 9, but they were up at their usual time and, of course, they wanted to play with their new train set.

It was a very fun birthday and now we're looking forward to the party on Saturday! The best news of all is that Grandmom & Grandpop Ohio are coming with Uncle Zach & Uncle Josh!

Our Special Birthday Surprise for the Boys

2011-06-23T12:50:00.004-04:00

I may not have had the boys birthday party planned ahead of time, but Justin & I were WAY ahead of the game when it came to Luke & Nolan's 2nd birthday present.

We knew that we wanted to build them a Thomas the Tank Engine table and fill the table with tracks & engines that our boys love since they enjoy playing with the one in Barnes & Noble.

Justin & Mom Mom's Hand-Made Thomas the Tank Engine Table

I bought the tracks and engines very early (February!) and Justin began working on the table the first week in June. Not only is he incredibly smart, but he's extremely handy and creative too! (just bragging about my man for a bit)

We did this on the down-low....after the boys went to bed at night!

After he was finished with the table, he took it over to Mom Mom's house so that she could put the finishing touches on it. Mom Mom is a very talented artist and an amazing painter. She doesn't typically paint trains (let alone one on a table), but she did a remarkable job!

You can really tell that a lot of love went into their gift.

Next up...showing the boys!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Nolan & Luke

2011-06-22T00:01:00.002-04:00

My Little Loves,

Happy 2 years!

I will never forget the moment we met because it was the single most amazing moment of my life. The past 730 days with you have been some of the most demanding days of my life, but they have also been filled with laughter and crazy amounts of love.

Thank you for those incredible smiles and giggles. I have them permanently etched in my mind and, no matter how old you grow, I know I'll never forget them.

You probably won't remember all of the memories that we are making, but I'm doing my best to capture those moments for you. I know that you will cherish my pictures and videos some day and it will make the playful ridicule I get from family and friends for lugging my camera with me just about everywhere I go, worth it.

My hope is that your next 365 days aren't as "terrible" as other people make them out to be, but if the going gets tough, we will all make it through just fine. I promise to try and be understanding just as long as you take it easy on your ol' mommy!

Happy Birthday, my handsome little boys. Your daddy and I still marvel at how beautiful and perfect we think you are, as only parents could do. You have both blessed us in ways we never thought possible. We hope you enjoy your birthday and the fun surprises we have in store for you.

With Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Handsome Lukie

2011-06-20T12:45:00.002-04:00

My little dude is stylin' and profilin' after his haircut.

Luke takes his man-scaping very seriously as you can tell by his Zoolander face.

Luckily, Justin needed to go in for a haircut at the same time Luke was in desperate need for one.

One more chore to check off the list before the big birthday celebration!

The ladies at the shop were very impressed with my little guy's behavior. He sat like a good boy while daddy had his hair cut and when it was Luke's turn, he sat in the chair and didn't flinch while Tammy cut his hair!

My sweet Luke. My little firecracker. My little love.

Luke still loves to chase and be chased. When I find him upset, all I need to do is get down on the floor and chase him around the kitchen island. It instantly lifts his spirits!

He loves to stack mega blocks.

He likes to line things up or group them together. We were at his cousin's birthday party this past weekend and he took all of her chairs and little tables and rearranged them! He then led me over to her little picnic table and asked me to move it because it was too heavy for him to do it himself.

I find him dancing to music a few times a day.

He doesn't really have a 'favorite' toy - he likes them all! If I had to guess, I'd say his tricycle might be his favorite. He can't actually ride it yet though; he just pushes himself along.

He gives the best kisses -- when you can get him to give you one. If he doesn't want to, there is absolutely no forcing him! On Saturday morning, the boys climbed into our bed with us and Luke took it upon himself to kiss daddy, then me, then daddy, then me again. Over and over. We were both laughing because it was so sweet!

I love my little peanut.

It's officially summer time!

2011-06-16T07:43:00.002-04:00

I am a week late posting this, but I want to note it nonetheless. It was very hot around here last week. I'm talking 98 degrees last Thursday which was the day we took the boys to Mom Mom & Poppy's house for a swim after work.

Mom Mom bought these nifty little flotation swim suits. My boys looked like mini Europeans with their tight, short bottoms!

They both loved the water!

They eventually realized that climbing up the ladder onto the deck and jumping into someone's arms was even more fun than just floating around!

I don't have any pictures of the pool jumping because I was too busy trying to patrol Nolan who showed no fear when it came to jumping into the water. He wouldn't even wait for you to get into place to catch him. His feet hit the deck and he took off running and jumping!

aaaaarrrrg, I'm a pirate

2011-06-16T07:24:00.002-04:00

Uncle Pat & Aunt Giustina bought the boys a giant inflatable pirate ship pool which I kept hidden in our laundry room until it was hot enough to put it to good use. While they were napping last Friday, I inflated the pirate monstrosity (which is what I've lovingly nicknamed it). It took a while, but when I stood back and took a look at the finished project, I knew that Nolan and Luke would love playing in it.

We went out to lunch with Grammie and ran a few errands and when we arrived back home, it was pirate time. arrrg.

Oh boy, were they happy!!

For a few days after they first played in the pirate monstrosity, they would wake from their nap and say, "pool?"

Absolutely, boys.

A day at the beach

2011-06-12T19:48:00.003-04:00

If you've been following my blog since the boys have been born, you'll know that they have a love/hate relationship with the beach. Specifically, the sand. I put my game plan into action this past weekend in preparation for our week-long beach vacation in August.

I wanted to get the boys on the beach a few times before our vacation so that I could get them excited about spending a week there. I didn't want a repeat of last year where we'd take them to the beach and they'd only stay for an hour because they didn't like the sand.

It was very cloudy in Philly on Saturday, but it wasn't going to stop us from taking the boys to Ocean City. I was going back and forth with whether to go or not, but we only live once! Luckily, our gamble paid off because we had a nice day.

We arrived, set up the tent and sure enough, Nolan and Luke were in heaven!

Aunt Brenda met us on the beach with Karen and James.

This little guy is a heart-stealer!

The boys had a blast. Luke, as usual, was completely unafraid and took to the water immediately. Nolan preferred to be held while he was in the water. Both of them liked when we would hold them and dip their legs into the waves as they were crashing. I could have done that all afternoon if the Atlantic wasn't so dang cold!

There weren't any issues with the sand either! Nolan really doesn't like his hands or feet to be dirty, so I was concerned about him not liking the sand, but he was totally fine with it!

After a couple of hours, we went back to Aunt Brenda's house to get cleaned up then we went to the boardwalk for a while. The boys had their first taste of Mack & Manco's pizza (mommy & daddy's favorite!), before heading to Wonderland Pier for some rides!

Justin accidentally hit the manual focus button on my lens, so these pictures turned out a bit blurry, but trust me, the boys were having a BLAST!

Can't wait to do it again!

All Aboard

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

The boys' birthday is in 14 days.

By this time last year, I had every single party detail finalized. I hand made decorations, I planned the menu, I bought party favors, I ordered the balloons and cake, I bought their birthday party outfits. On top of all that, I made a DVD set to music of my boys' entire first year which took me weeks.

This year is an entirely different story!

All that I have done is.....

The invitations.

And I didn't even "make" them; I ordered them from etsy.

What's so different this year? I guess it's just the comfort of knowing that, even if I wait until a week before their birthday, it will all get done.

Wrestle-Mania

2011-06-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

Can you guess what Luke and Nolan's favorite new past-time is?

Once upon a time, I dreamed about the day when my two sons began wrestling around: see here, but now I find myself playing referee an awful lot.

Most of the time, the wrestling is pretty harmless, but since Nolan is heavier than Luke, when he pins him down and sits on him, we have a problem. Luke doesn't like it one bit!

I love having boys!!

Weekend Recap

2011-06-06T06:00:00.002-04:00

The weather on Friday morning was just beautiful, so I called my mom and sister to see if they'd like to join the boys and I for a short zoo trip. We arrived when the park opened and there were hardly any people there. Plus, you get to see some of the animals being fed which is pretty cool!

After a while I was surrounded by kids and goats -- good times.

The only way out of the petting zoo is through a big barn filled with nothing but sinks, soap dispensers and hand dryers -- such a good idea for a paranoid mom like me!

Normally, there are loads of people around the ducks, but not when you go early!

Their favorite thing to do at the zoo is ride on this train. Nolan's face lights up when he sees it.

This was the first time we ever went into the bird house. I liked it a lot more than everyone else. My mom is petrified of birds and the boys were more interested in the plants than birds.

Aunt Chica and Uncle Eric came over for dinner and ice cream on Friday night. They were over again Saturday morning for some breakfast before Justin had to leave for Pittsburgh. The Phillies were playing in Pirates stadium, so he and his dad made the 5 hour drive out so see them play!

While daddy & Poppy was away, Mom Mom & I spent the afternoon together playing with Nolan & Luke. We took them to the mall for dinner. Of course, we visited Barnes & Noble to play with the Thomas the Tank train set. Since we let them out of the stroller to play with the trains, it's always a bit of a struggle trying to get them to sit back in the stroller! We let them walk a bit, but when it was time for dinner, we put them back and and luckily they stayed in there for the rest of our time there!

Daddy came home Sunday and we had an early dinner with Mom Mom & Poppy. Yes, the boys did wear the same thing that they wore on Friday, but you know kids this age! I was putting away their laundry Sunday morning when Nolan took the shirt out of the basket and said "dump truck" (which sounds like 'twock' - so cute). Dump truck shirt it is!!

Memorial Day Weekend Continued

2011-06-02T12:07:00.002-04:00

Nolan woke up around 7:30 on Sunday morning and since we were all sharing a room, Justin, Luke & I had no choice but to wake up too. Every Sunday morning, we go to a flea market whenever we're in town. It's nothing special -- just a tradition started many, many years ago. While we were waiting for everyone else to wake up and get themselves ready, Grammie, Daddy, the boys and I went for a short walk in the woods.

Luke ran into the trees and never looked back. He was in his element -- definitely his momma's boy! My mom caught up to him and led the way.

I love that he carried a stick with him everywhere he went. He reminded me of Galdolf!

Nolie loves his Momma!!

Everybody is looking somewhere different!

It wouldn't be a typical day without me swinging from tree vines.

Luke had to try too!

Like I said, Momma's boy.

Once we got back from the flea market, we spent the afternoon having fun together.

We took a ride down to the river so the girls could kayak. It was pretty hot at this point, so Tank cooled himself down by plopping himself in the river.

We spent about 10 minutes by the river. Luke & Nolan were having none of it because we made them wear a life jacket.

We went back to the house and Luke and Nolan played in the sprinkler for a bit while the rest of us relaxed.

Luke found a little friend sitting on the wood pile!

We stayed up pretty late that night talking by the fire and when we woke the next morning, it was time to leave. We made it back to the city pretty quickly and were surprised to find out that a 1.7 earthquake hit close to our house! This might be the norm for some people, but earthquakes don't happen in Philly very often!

It's been very hot since we returned home, so we have all been playing in our back yard with the water table and sprinkler.

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-01T07:30:00.003-04:00

We spent this Memorial Day Weekend up the mountains -- the Endless Mountains, to be more specific. It was an especially great trip because it was the first time Luke and Nolan visited the family's mountain house.

Some of the best memories I have from my childhood are from weekend trips up there and I can't wait for my boys and their cousins & friends to have the same fun that we did!

Before we left for the long weekend, my new Nikon D90 arrived in the mail. I ordered the body only from one site and a 35mm lens from a different site. The camera arrived, but not the lens. I was very disappointed thinking I wouldn't be able to use it for our vacation, so, the night before we left, I made a trip to the camera store and bought a 28-75 mm f2.8. I'm still waiting for the 35mm.

Before we packed the truck and made the 2 1/2 hour ride, I took Nolan to the doctor because he had a cold in his eye. Turns out, he had pink eye as well as an ear infection. I'm glad we caught it before we left because the medicine cleared him up right away and he was good for the weekend.

I took so many pictures, that I'm going to break the trip up into two separate posts.

The grass was very long when we got there, but my little guys had a blast running through the yard.

Once some of the lawn was cut, it was time to take out their little quads!

They did some exploring before the rest of our family arrived, then it was off to bed!

We woke the following morning and did some "fishing" with Uncle Ed & daddy off the back porch.

While the boys were napping, the girls, Justin & I took a walk.

Luke really enjoyed swinging from the big tree out back, but since I was the one he enjoyed swinging with, I don't have any pictures of it!

We spent a good deal of time sitting on the porch and chatting!

Once it got hot out, we pulled out the sprinkler and buckets!

Someone snatched mommy's iced coffee!

Daddy is an excellent bubble-blower.

Some crazy person (me) thought it would be a good idea to try the see-saw. I didn't realize how high it went!

My boys had a great time though!

Grammie took the boys for a wheelbarrow ride.

So did Pop! Hailey jumped on in for a ride too.

We needed to clean the kayaks for the following day so, of course, the boys hopped in and demanded a ride!

Aunt Erin and Uncle Tom stopped by for a few hours since we were so close to their home!

Dinner time!

Twilight is my absolute favorite time of day up here. The forest gets all dark and spooky, but it's still light out on the fields. LOVE it!!

Since it was daddy's birthday, we celebrated with cake out by the bonfire!

The boys practiced blowing out the candles for their birthday in a few weeks!

All in all, it was a fun and adventerous first day!

Nolan and his bubbles

2011-05-23T23:59:00.000-04:00

One day last week, Nolan woke from his nap earlier than Luke, so we played outside with the bubble blower. My boys LOVE their one-on-one time with me, so whenever we have these little moments, I'm sure to make the best of it. Whoever is with me gets undivided attention!

Nolan is my little hillbilly. He loves to be barefoot; it doesn't matter if he's indoors or outdoors. I have a hard time getting him to walk through the front or back door -- he wants to be outside ALL THE TIME!

He loves to repeat everything he hears -- mostly the last few words he hears someone else say.

His hair grows so quickly!

His pillow-pet is his favorite toy and he loves to carry it with him all over the house.

He thinks it's funny when he puts his finger in his nose.

He LOVES Thomas the Tank Engine (which is their 2nd Birthday theme!!) and will lay with his pillow pet in front of the tv to watch the show.

I think he's ready to be potty trained which I plan on doing as soon as I have a free weekend!! Not too easy to come by lately...

His favorite thing to eat is crackers or bagels with cream cheese.

He enjoys taking off his shirt and putting it back on again by himself.

He is still my cuddle-bug and I love the sound of his laugh.

He definitely makes me a very, very proud momma.

Helping Daddy

2011-05-23T12:47:00.002-04:00

Lawnmowers, trash trucks, trains, buses and central air units are some of the things Luke and Nolan are fascinated with.

Daddy mowed the lawn on Friday while the boys and I watched from the patio, but when he was finished, the boys rushed onto the grass to pretend-mow with him.

Note to others: the lawnmower wasn't on and their little piggies were free from harm!

Date Night -- Sugarland Concert

2011-05-16T20:20:00.003-04:00

A couple of months ago, Justin sent me an e-mail while we were both working asking me if we had any plans for May 14th. Miraculously, nothing was on the agenda! About 20 minutes went by when I received another email letting me know that he was taking me to the Sugarland concert!

He is not a country music fan, so it meant a great deal to me that he wanted to take me to see a band that I enjoyed. I am a new country music fan. I began listening after the boys were born because I felt like most pop music was just a little too "mature" for their little ears.

So May 14th rolled around and both boys were sick. I felt very bad all day leading up to the time when I would have to leave them. Aunt Chica and Uncle Eric came to babysit and the second they walked through the door, all my worries left. My boys LOVE their aunt and uncle so much!

Justin and I joined his parents at Miller's Ale House for dinner. We had a great time and delicious dinner!

Aunt Chica sent me this picture while I was at dinner.

We arrived at the concert and had a BLAST!!!
Little Big Town was amazing.

And I loved Sugarland!!

Justin admitted that it was a great concert and he enjoyed the music! I have to say, they put on an entertaining show! Brad Paisley is coming in September, so hopefully we'll get to see him then.

When we got home later that night, Melissa told me that the boys went down at 7:30 and didn't make a peep after that! When we woke on Sunday morning, I could tell that they were feeling much better. Thank goodness!!

The Carnival

2011-05-16T12:40:00.002-04:00

Once a year, the church in our neighborhood hosts a family carnival. This was the first time I ever went because I wanted to take the boys on some rides. Nolan had just started a head cold this morning, but, you know kids -- runny nose & sneezing isn't going to stop them from playing and having fun!

We asked the boys if they wanted to go down the big slide, Luke said yes, Nolan said no.

There is our neighbor, Kayla next to us! We found her sitting on her front step looking sad, so when we asked her what was wrong, she said that she couldn't go to the carnival because her friend wasn't allowed to go. We cleared it with her mom and she came with us instead!

Nolan didn't want to ride the carousel either, but Luke had a BLAST with daddy!!

Nolan much preferred running around with Kayla instead.

Nolan really did enjoy fishing though!

Mom Mom lent an expert hand!

Both boys had a great time riding these ducks -- they did it twice!

At the end of the night, we asked Nolan again if he wanted to do the big slide with mommy -- he said yes!

When we finished, he wanted to go again -- that's my brave little guy! We all shared a little cotton candy on the walk home and went to bed a little later than we usually do. We had a really good time and I definitely think we'll go again next year.

Sick, but having fun.

2011-05-13T15:49:00.003-04:00

Nolan has a little cold which threw a wrench in our plans to have my friend, Tricia and her twins, Sammie and Charlie over for a play date! Neither of the boys has had a cold in about 5 months which is fantastic, but I was really looking forward to holding those little cuties this morning!

Last night, Mom Mom came over to play with Nolan and Luke while Justin and I went to pick up a little sliding board & swing set from our other twin friends, Ben and Nora (and of course their parents, Tim and Kristine!). They had gotten too big for the set and graciously offered it to my boys. When we walked through the door last night with their new toy, their faces lit up! Something new to climb on!

Nolan enjoys manning the captain's spot and sitting by the steering wheel with his legs dangling down and Luke loves to plop himself on the swing! Works out perfectly!

There is a small carnival in our neighborhood that ends tonight and if my little guys are feeling up to it, I think we may take them over for some funnel cake and a ride or two.

My Mother's Day!

2011-05-09T13:46:00.002-04:00

This is my 400th post and I couldn't think of a better blog milestone than to have it be about my second Mother's Day!

We kicked off our Mother's Day weekend with a trip to the zoo on Saturday morning. The weather was perfect and the boys were extremely well-behaved, so it really couldn't have gone any better.

Posing for pictures with mom is not something we do well.

We do pose well with dinosaur statues, however.

We spent quite a bit of time in the Primate House because it was so fun for us all!

When Nolan's eyes fell upon this train, he directed us all over to it. It was $3 per child and so I went to give the conductor my cash. He politely informed me that I'd need to purchase a ticket at some booth which was not near the train.

When we began walking over to the ticket booth, Nolan was crying, "train, traaaaaain," over and over again. Poor little guy! After we bought the tickets and went back, there was a line to ride the train. He was upset that he had to wait, but he did a very good job waiting (not so) patiently.

It was finally our turn!! They were both so, so happy to be on the choo-choo.

After the zoo, we went back home and the boys took naps while daddy and I got some chores done. We went to the mall after that and did a little shopping which was MUCH easier when I had Justin with me!

The boys had just woken from a nap, so that may also have been why they didn't mind sitting in the stroller while we walked them around.

Aunt Chica and Uncle Eric came over on Saturday night and Justin grilled us a delicious steak dinner! Such a fun end to the day.

On Sunday morning, I opened my lovely Mother's Day presents and cards, then Justin asked me what I wanted for breakfast. "Huevos Rancheros," I answered without really thinking. The last time I had them was on our honeymoon in Mexico.

He whipped me up the best huevos rancheros I ever tasted! What made it even more special, was that Nolan ate about half my breakfast! He LOVED huevos rancheros! Justin made the boys cheesy eggs, but he wanted mine. Maybe he'll have a love for Mexico just like his mommy.

After breakfast & nap time, it was off to Mom Mom & Poppy's house to play before we went to dinner at one of our favorite Italian Restaurants, Adriano's.

I didn't get a picture of my little guys once they were wearing their adorable dinner outfits!

We asked Nolan if he'd like to sit with mommy for a picture. "No," he politely told us.

Okaaaay.

This was the best I could do.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Book recommendations?

2011-05-06T19:46:00.003-04:00

I had zero interest in using a Kindle to read books until I received one as a gift and was forced to buy e-books. Now, I can't imagine not using one to read! The problem for me is that I've been going through books like crazy and am having a hard time deciding what to read next.

The last book that I REALLY enjoyed was "Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption." It's a true story of Louie Zamperini, a US Olympian who joined the Army Air Corps during WWII. Amazing is all I can say.

I'm now on a "war kick" and have added "Lone Survivor" to my Wish List (that book sounds really good!).

I would love to hear some book recommendations from some of my blog friends. I enjoy reading just about everything, but I'm not a fan of romance novels. I've heard about the "Outlander" series and that's on my list, so if you've read them, please tell me what you thought.

I'm currently reading "The Name of the Wind: the KingKiller Chronicle: Day One." Someone recommended that to me once they heard I liked Harry Potter. I'm only about 20 pages in though.

Any good reads??

Jumping for Joy

2011-05-06T13:27:00.002-04:00

Nolan and Luke received a jump-o-lene from Grandmom & Grandpop Ohio for Christmas. It has quickly become their favorite toy! They love bouncing, but if you add some balls to the pit - it's even more fun!!

Daddy and Aunt Chica are so much fun to play with!!

Mommy joined in on the fun too!

Naturally, Uncle Eric had to hop in for a little time with his favorite boys.

Handsome daddy.

This weekend is Mother's Day Weekend!! A weekend to celebrate meeeeeeeeeeeee!

Justin joked that of course I would turn one day into an entire weekend, but it's just what I do.

Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends!

Shopping with Toddlers

2011-05-03T19:46:00.003-04:00

I don't know when it happened, but my boys don't like to go shopping. Actually, I don’t think it’s the “shopping” so much as they don’t enjoy being trapped in a cart or stroller.

It’s completely natural for their age, but shopping needs to be done!

We have tried many different approaches. My favorite was about two weeks ago when Justin & I needed to get something from Kohls. I had the genius idea to suggest we take the boys into the store and hold their hands because taking a double stroller in Kohls is annoying. There isn’t enough spaces between the racks!

That was a joke. I knew that if we put them into the stroller, they’d immediately go all stiff and fight us. There’s just something about that dead weight and your child doing everything in his power to NOT have his legs go into his stroller that makes me crazy.

We lasted about 4 minutes in Kohls before we left. They weren’t bad, they just didn’t want to hold our hands (and take everything off the shelves). You can forget about getting a cart with a child seat in there – there are only about 3 of them. I have never managed to get my hands on one.

I met my friend Lisa (Aunt La La) at the mall last week. I fought hard to get Nolan into the stroller. We lasted about 20 minutes before the crying got to me so I put on their backpack “leashes” so that they could have a little freedom and I could have some control over them. Forget it. They wanted nothing to do with them. Luke actually swatted at the leash a few times. We went home in under an hour.

I've come to the conclusion that solo shopping trips (one mommy / two boys) to the mall will no longer happen.

When they aren't shopping, they love to spend time outside. We are in and out all day long when it isn't raining!!

Luke discovered "wishies."

Aunt Danielle & Luke.

Dyeing Easter Eggs

2011-04-25T20:05:00.004-04:00

Is it 'dyeing' or 'dying' Easter eggs? Google offered me no help, so 'dyeing' it is.

This post is going to cover Saturday -- the day before Easter. Justin and I did some running around with the boys then headed home for some egg-dyeing fun. At this point in the day, it started getting hot. I had already baked two batches of cookies plus a cake, so the house was especially warm. The boys stripped their clothes off, I put on some shorts and we began our project.

We dyed the eggs the 'old fashioned' way: food coloring, vinegar and water.

Before we started the project, Justin asked me "how are we going to dye the eggs?" He asked if I bought a kit, but I told him that we were going to do it the way I did when I was little: with spoons!

We had a blast!

Nolan was listening to his egg very intently.
Nolie Power!!

I tried to pose for a picture with my sons, but they were more interested in my mixer and the attachments.

Luke liked coloring his tray.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T19:39:00.004-04:00

We had a busy, fun-filled Easter weekend. I'm going to break it into a few different posts because one would be just way too much.

The Easter Bunny paid us a visit!! The boys woke early on Sunday morning to find baskets filled with goodies. The four of us spent our morning together opening gifts and eating candy. Not such a good breakfast, but they didn't want to eat the waffles I made for them. Candy it was.

The Easter Bunny hid some eggs around the living room and Luke had a blast hunting for them. Nolan only became interested once he discovered there were jelly beans hidden in them.

After nap time, it was off to Grammie & Pop's house for lunch, more goodies and another egg hunt!

Family picture time! I was pleasantly surprised to find that all of us were looking (sort of) at the camera at the same time.

Easter egg hunt!!

After lunch, we drove to Mom Mom & Poppy's house for dinner! We arrived there to discover a fun new slide! Mom Mom discovered that Pledge furniture spray is a very effective slide lubricant!
It grew entirely way too hot for an April afternoon (85 degrees!), so it was off with the shirts for my little men. The rain began to fall after dinner and the boys danced around in the rain while their Poppy kept a watchful eye. They played all afternoon with their slide, golf club set and quads.
We made it home around 7 p.m., the boys took a nice, warm bubble bath then were off to bed.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

We aren't only celebrating Easter this year, but we are also celebrating the engagement of Aunt Christa and Uncle Charlie!

May you all have a happy, blessed, fun and warm Easter!

We have several Easter egg hunts planned and I'm hoping for some sunshine!

Hoppy Easter!!

Hey Buttercup

2011-04-12T21:30:00.003-04:00

After my last ski trip, I announced to Justin that I was officially 'over' the snow and completely ready for the warm weather. I had quite a while to wait, but Monday was like an answer to my prayers:

82 degrees + no work + happy boys = priceless.

After L&N's nap, I wrangled the little guys into my truck and we headed to Pennypack Park to meet my mom for a walk. I brought along the wagon but barely used it to pull my boys. It was a good luggage & drink cart though.

Grammie & Luke

There were some geese hanging out in the creek, so the boys tossed them some tortilla chips. I think that after the long winter, the geese were very happy to have some chips! The boys were very happy to share.
After a while, we continued on and Nolan decided to pull Luke around.
Little buttercup flowers were all over! It is such a shame that this weather was a complete fluke and it won't be like this for a couple more months!

Notice Luke's stick? He's still amazed by them. He'd pick up two sticks, examine them, then put one down until he found another. Then he repeated the process.
There were lots of dogs and bikers on the trail. Nolan alerted us all to passing bikers. "Biiiike," he would shout!
Mommy & Grammie were very brave and walked the boys down a steep hill so that they could play with the rocks. Luke, without hesitation, marched straight into the creek as soon as his feet hit the ground. No fear whatsoever.

He wouldn't ven look at me when he was playing with the rocks.

The concentration was amazing to me!!
This is Luke leading Nolan back to the creek's edge because he had wandered away. I'm telling you, he took the rock-throwing VERY seriously.
We had a really nice afternoon. The leaves are starting to bud on the trees. Little flowers are popping up everywhere and (sometimes) we're able to sleep with the windows open. I'm loving this time of year!

Afternoon at the Link

2011-04-11T08:58:00.005-04:00

Our friends, Pat and Giustina invited us to a 'Huddle up for Autism' event at Lincoln Financial Field. It was a day for kids to roam around the Link, where the Philadelphia Eagles play. We're huge Birds fans and this was the boys first time visiting the stadium.

We were greeted by some of the Eagles Cheerleaders. They looked like they were about 16 and made me feel extremely old. It's pretty bad when even your husband says that the cheerleaders look like they're in high school. They were incredibly sweet though and posed happily for pictures with some of their future fans!

Look at how happy Nicholas looks!!

Swoop was there as soon as we walked through the doors, but there were so many people surrounding him that we skipped the line and went over to the balloon animal-maker. There was a lot there for the kids to do like, arts & crafts, magic shows and a giant inflatable pirate ship, but my boys were too young for some of it or the lines were a little too long.

We headed downstairs and into the Visitors Locker Room. We were hoping that when the G-Girls (Giants) or the Cowgirls visited, they'd be welcomed by a pink glittery locker room, but unfortunately it was gray.

Then, it was on to the Eagles Locker Room!!

Afterwards, we headed down to the field. They opened one of the end zones up for the kids to run an obstacle course on!

Uncle Pat & Nicholas

Daddy showed the boys where the Eagles play. I think that the open field was extremely inviting to the boys! They wanted to get down and run so badly!

Finally -- we're allowed to run around!

Nolan was spent by the end of the day! We left the house at 10:30 in the morning, right before their nap. They were very, very good during the tour considering it was in the middle of their nap time!
After we got back home, the boys took a nap and when they woke, the four of us cleaned up the backyard after the long winter. There were leaves & sticks everywhere and the boys had a great time helping rake & put them into trash bags. Nolan pushed his lawn mower around the yard just like his daddy. It was a fun, beautiful day!

Christmas in March

2011-04-09T09:28:00.002-04:00

Last week, Grandmom, Grandpop, Uncle Zach and Uncle Josh came into town for a short visit and we were finally able to celebrate Christmas!

The Weeble tree house and Castle are probably the boys' new favorite toys!

Grandmom gave Nolan a helping hand!

Luke had fun hopping on his bouncy ball.

Uncle Josh got a kick out of it too!

Luke had a very intense conversation with Grandpop.

As always, Nolan and Luke were loving Uncle Josh!

There was a Weeble explosion!!

We had a nice day and I was upset when they had to leave. This was also the day that Justin and I had to drop off all of our kids' consignment sale items. This was my first year participating as a consignor and I really didn't realize how much went into gathering everything; entering the items and prices into the website; printing tags and clipping them to everything. It was a lot of work!

and the 1st set of stitches goes to...

2011-04-03T21:43:00.003-04:00

Nolan.

I was at work last Wednesday when my cell phone rang. My mom was on the other line telling me that everything was okay, but Nolan fell outside on our front step and split his lip open. I could hear the little guy crying in the background and it broke my heart. She had taken him inside, cleaned him up and gave him some ice to put on his lip, but she thought that he'd need stitches.

I knew that I couldn't make it home quickly because my train only runs every half hour at that point in the day. I called Justin and he was able to leave work immediately. My mom met him at the plastic surgeon's office and the doctor was able to stitch him up very nicely.

My big boy got three stitches on the left side of his bottom lip. He cried when he saw the doctor, but Justin assured me that everything was over very quickly and he was up-and-at-em right after the whole ordeal. He gave his daddy a high-five after the doctor was done stitching him up. The stitches are clear and will dissolve on their own so we won't have to go back in and scare the poor little guy.

When I arrived home, I gave my little guy lots of hugs and kisses. He says "boo boo" and touches his lip.

He's healing nicely and I am not looking forward to having this happening again!! I'm going to make a bubble boy suit for them.

What's new with me?

2011-03-28T20:48:00.004-04:00

I know that this is another zoo picture, but I'm always behind the camera.

This was one day that I had a few pictures taken of me!

I've been devoting time to get to know my camera. It's only taken a year and a half! I was sick and tired of using it on 'auto' mode all the time, so my girlfriend, Brenda and I took a class and have another one scheduled for April. We even took a Lightroom class that was very helpful. I feel like I could have figured out how to use Lightroom all on my own if I dedicated enough time to it, but I just don't have several hours straight during the day to figure it all out.

I've put a lot of money into my camera, plus a $500 lens (which I love) and a $200 external flash all to discover...I think I want a different camera. Justin is so sweet and told me to sell mine and buy a new one, but I'm just not so sure I'm ready yet. I need to do some more research.

With the sky-high gas prices, I began taking the train to work again.

Confession: I LOVE IT!!

I get a 40 minute train ride to & from work which means I can sit in silence for 80 minutes a day and READ. I received a Kindle for Christmas and was finally able to put it to use! Reading is something that I have always enjoyed, but it's something I gave up after I became a mom because, duh, I don't have the time. I suppose I could have tried to read at bed time, but I would have read a page a day because I would immediately fall asleep!

I began working out again. Justin is doing P90x, but I just can't bring myself to go that hardcore. I've settled for 30-45 minutes on the treadmill. I'm not a runner (I've tried) so I just jack up the incline and walk quickly. That's enough to get me going!

I'm a tad obsessed with Bethenny Frakel (and Bravo TV in general) so I ordered her yoga DVD. I've done pilates before, but not yoga. Hopefully it's something I enjoy!

This past weekend, Justin and I had a regular date night AND a double-date night (thanks to our parents!). On Friday, my mom put the boys to sleep and Justin and I had dinner at Butcher & Singer. Dinner was delicious, but spending alone time with Justin was what I really loved!

On Saturday, Mom Mom & Poppy had a blast with the boys! They played at their house, shopped for toys at Target then went to the mall for some Chik-fil-a and running around. All the while, Justin and I joined up with Chica, Eric, Brenda and Ricky at Red Robin for dinner. After that, we all came back to our house for a game. We had a great time - I laughed until tears fell down my face. There's just nothing like a fun night with some of your closest friends.

My dad, Colleen and my brothers are coming into town on Thursday and I'm really looking forward to their visit. We weren't able to get together in December for Christmas, so were're celebrating on March 31st! Better late than never, I say. I really just can't wait for them to see how big the boys have gotten since November when we last saw them.

All in all, things have been going well for me. I'm definitely a 'mommy' and spend a lot of my time caring for my boys, but thanks to our family and friends, I am able to do some other fun things as well.

My proud boy!

2011-03-28T20:32:00.003-04:00

These pictures are from two weeks ago, but I couldn't not share them. Aunt Chica and Uncle Eric came over to hang out and the boys were having a blast with them. I was on the phone with Melissa (who I have been calling 'Chica' since I was 13 years old) when Luke said "Chica." I couldn't help but crack up! I don't think there's any shot of my two boys calling her 'Melissa.'

Does this little guy look proud, or what?

We had an impromptu dance party for a few minutes. These happen rather frequently around our house. The boys love to dance!Time for jammies. Of course they didn't want to wear them normally. Their heads seemed like so much more fun!

21 Months

2011-03-22T20:58:00.005-04:00

Nolan celebrated his 21st month by climbing out of his crib and into Luke's after their afternoon nap. I had a feeling that he would be climbing out of his crib soon, but it still scared the bejeezus out of me.

I was at work when my mom called. I could tell by her voice that she was worried. My heart began to race, "mom, what happened?" She then began to tell me that she heard the boys laughing from their room when they woke up from their nap. She went upstairs and found Nolan in Luke's crib.

"How did he get there?" I asked. She told me that she had no idea. I heard her ask him if he wanted to show her how he did it and he shook his head 'no' at her. After putting him back into his own crib, she saw what he did. He grabbed the crib rail, pulled himself up, over the 12 inches separating their cribs and rolled into Luke's crib.

It must be time for crib tents. In the meantime, I pulled his crib further away from his brother's. Hopefully this takes some of the temptation away!

Weekly Pizza Night

2011-03-20T20:17:00.005-04:00

There is something very comforting to me having weekly family dinners. Mom Mom makes homemade pizza for us just about every week. I've never had pizza like hers. It's so good!

Since the weather was gorgeous, we played around outside before heading in for dinner.

Poppy played with Nolan and Luke on his pickup truck bed.

Who would have thought that stones could be so entertaining?

Even daddy got in on the stone fun.

By that, I mean he ran after the boys trying to keep them from putting stones in their mouth!

Finally, after our outdoor fun, it was time for pizza.

Delish.

Day at the Zoo

2011-03-18T16:19:00.006-04:00

We bought a season pass to the Philadelphia Zoo this year and since today was the first beautiful day since we got the passes, Grammie & I decided that it would be the perfect day to visit the zoo.

Justin and I hyped it up to the boys all morning long. We told them that they would be going to the zoo to see the animals. "Zoo," they kept repeating all morning.

It was surprisingly crowded being as though it's only March, but I guess everyone else had the same idea we did - 75 degrees in March doesn't happen too often and we'd better take advantage!

We were only there for about 15 minutes when this beautiful peacock walked by. Nolan caught one glimpse of him and chased him around for about 10 minutes. The peacock couldn't even be bothered with him - he just kept walking around no matter how close the boys got.

"Look at this, mom!"

After the peacock, I didn't think the boys would be too interested in any other animal. I was SO wrong! They were fascinated by everything - especially the sea otters. I didn't get a picture of that though.

We had a blast, but it was incredibly crowded, so we left after two hours. We only visited half of the zoo exhibits! We still have so much more to see! Next time....

I look just like Buddy Holly...

2011-03-13T17:20:00.002-04:00

Someone special paid a visit Thursday night...

He let Nolan and Luke wear his glasses...

Which made them look like Buddy Holly.

Who could it be?

It was Poppy!!!

Ryan's 1st Birthday

2011-03-08T20:34:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, we celebrated Ryan's first birthday. It was so nice to have Stephen, Krystle and Ryan in town for a few days. It was the first time our entire family has been together in quite a while. We had a great time catching-up, eating, drinking and of course, celebrating Ryan's first year!

Jake helped open presents.

So did Nolan and Luke!

Ryan would not let go of this cone cupcake!

This was the best shot out of 20. We couldn't get all 4 boys to sit still, let alone look at the camera!

Ready? Spaghetti!

2011-03-06T16:07:00.003-05:00

I just returned home from having the boys' hair cut so when I look at these spaghetti pictures, it makes me a little weepy because their hair is so much longer! We went for a full-on cut with clippers and all so their hair is now short.

How do you make a boring dinner like spaghetti and turkey meatballs a little more exciting?

Let the boys feed themselves.

Luke finished his entire bowl!

My Men

2011-03-05T11:44:00.003-05:00

Life with my 3 men is not so bad at all! We spend our days eating, drinking, playing, wrestling, playing "choo choo" and chasing. The boys love to be outside and have learned how to unlock and open Grammie's back door. They are talking up a storm now and repeat just about everything we say.

My happy boy, did not want to smile for me this morning!

Luke is bored with my picture-taking antics.

He decided to be cheesy!

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-03-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

Nolan and Luke are almost 21 months old now and they are such a joy to be around. They're very well-behaved for being almost two (in my humble opinion) and are extremely cuddly and loveable. I love this stage of their development because they are like little sponges soaking up everything we say and do.

When we take a car ride, the boys like to watch a video on my SUV's DVD player. As I lift each boy into his car seat, he'll point to the little TV screen and say "Moo-ee" (movie). We are currently on a Barney kick. The moment I hit play, they yell "Baa-ee" (Barney) in delight. The sound of Barney's voice can sometimes make me cringe, but my boys love the songs!

"Choo-Choos" are still their favorite things to play with and talk about. They love to bring their books over to daddy or I and point out the choo-choos in them.

They love to take our hands and lead us around the house pointing at different objects. Daddy and I tell them what they're pointing to or we will tell them the color of what they're pointing at.
They count the steps as they walk upstairs. I had no idea that Grammie was teaching them this little trick until one random day when I was walking with Luke up the stairs. "One, two, three," he said out loud as he ascended the steps. It was a surprise to me, but definitely a good one!

Every time we are out and about running errands, the boys (Luke especially) loves to wave to people and say, "hi." They will also say "bye, bye," as we walk away from people.
Both boys love to bring different things over to us and tell them who they belong to. "Mommy," they say as they give me my blackberry. "Daddy," as they give me his watch. "Loo," (Luke), Nolan will say as he gives me Luke's slippers.

They are both definitely 'Daddy's Boys.' It is so heart-warming for me to see one of my sons climb into their daddy's lap and sit with him and watch a movie or read a book.
The boys are so 'helpful' and love to throw things into the trash can for me. They help me dust and vacuum. I hope their helpfulness continues when they get older!

The potty chair sits in the bathroom for whenever they are ready to use it. They haven't gone beyond just sitting on the potty and saying "pee pee" over and over again. I sit them on their potty before they get into the bath at night, but I just don't feel like they are ready to be potty trained yet. All in due time!

I wish I could put into words how happy I am with my little loves. I feel like the word 'happy' just doesn't do it justice. They are my everything. I see myself in them. I see my husband in them. I see our families in them. They are an amazing blessing and I thank God for them every single day.

20 Months Old

2011-02-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

I stopped taking your monthly pictures when you were 16 months old because it got to be too hard to get the both of you to sit for long enough for me to hit the shutter button. Aunt Chica came over on Monday afternoon, so she helped me wrangle the two of you into your chair.

Believe it or not, this was the best we could do.

Wearing socks or slippers is way so 2010 and you are way past that! I'm lucky to get you to keep your socks on for 20 minutes.

You love to chase each other around the house, but you love to be outside even more. There are days when I put you in your snow boots and warm jackets and let you play in the back yard to your heart's content.

Grammie taught you how to 'touch your toes to your nose.' It's funny to watch!

You sit on the potty, but you haven't actually gone pee-pee in the potty yet.

You started saying "pee-yew" and you hold your nose when you make a poopy.

You love choo-choo trains!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

Boys,

This was our second Valentine's Day together, and it was so different from our first:

1. You are able to walk.

2. You can (sort of) speak.

3. You knew how to open your Valentine's Day gifts.

4. We were able to go outside and play.

We woke up and kissed daddy goodbye because he had to work. It was just us three. We played around the house until it was time for your nap.

After you woke, we ate lunch then hopped in the wagon to visit the park. We made a pit-stop at Mabel's house for about a half hour. We always love visiting with her!

It was a very windy, but warm-ish day. We are outdoor people and a little bit of wind never scared us off! Off to the playground we went. The good thing about it being the winter time is that there was nobody at the play ground - just us!

We came home, had some snacks and milk and took an early bath because I knew daddy was planning to come home and make us homemade lobster ravioli.

Nolan, you hopped into the bath with your clothes (and diaper) on while I was undressing Luke. I guess you couldn't wait to be clean!

You opened your Valentine's Day gifts.

We had a delicious dinner that daddy cooked for us.

We snuggled, then went to bed.

Happy Valentine's Day, my little loves.

Love,

Mommy