365 Days of Logan

(Edit January 7th, 2014) After 365 days I can say this for certain...this was quite an undertaking!  I know it is my own OCD that got the best of me but try as I may, I just couldn't help it.  In the end, I didn't stay on top of this as I should have so some photos at the end still need captions and cropping...but I did say that I wasn't going to caption them all so I guess I am true to my word.  Next up will be making a video/setting the slideshow to music...but that will have to wait.  Thanks for watching our little guy as he made his way through 2013!  It's been quite an amazing journey!




(Note: The most recent pictures will be at the end.  You may want to flip through using the left arrow instead of the right. I have tried to only use pictures that haven't appeared in another post.  Those with captions have been used twice...some are just too cute to pass up!)

Towards the end of 2012, I started to feel like I wasn't taking many pictures of Logan.  So this year, I am attempting to take a picture of Logan EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.  A friend of mine who has her own amazing blog inspired this idea when she did the same thing with her daughter a couple of years ago.  I think it will be amazing to see how much he changes this year...starting 2013 just shy of 5 months old and ending just shy of 17 months.  My plan is to choose the photo of the day at the end of each month and to limit it to one photo per day (hopefully one that has not appeared in another post), no captions (this will be tough!).  Some days there are just so many cute ones I know it will be hard to choose but I will.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!  Thanks for the inspiration, Kodi!

(edit 3/31) When I started the 365 days of Logan at the beginning of the year, I felt that captioning (is that even a word?) every photo for the year was a bit OCD out of control so I decided not to.  But then for many photos I found that there was a cute moment or story being lost because I wasn't captioning each photo.  I'm not saying that every photo will have a caption but I am going to start adding some in hopes of capturing those little moments without creating a new post entirely.  (If I ever get caught up and have nothing else to do...not likely with two little monkeys keeping me busy...I will go back and caption January and February.) I will indicate if the photos have been used twice.

(edit 4/30) There are two things I can take away from April's photos.  1.  Logan must be part Italian.  He is always "talking" with his hands.  2. Logan is quite possibly the happiest baby...ever!

(edit May/June) So many photos without captions because what more can you say that his beautiful smile doesn't already say?

(edit July) Less sitting, more moving...still always smiling!!

(edit August) Nothing much to say other than we are still having a great summer and don't want to see it end! Lots of photos that have already appeared in other posts even though I started the year trying to avoid that.  There are too many photos and not enough time to pick unique ones all the time.

(edit September & October) The theme of these two months is busy, busy, busy!  Logan is always on the move, crawling in September and walking in October.  He wants to do anything his big brother can do and is quite often successful.  He is living up to his nickname "Trouble Bubble" these days.  Thanks to Auntie Karin and Uncle Dan for filling in for us while we were on our anniversary trip.

(edit November & December) Logan was sick for a bit in November but still mostly smiley.  Such a trooper!  We enjoyed every minute of the holidays, including a visit from Omi and Grandpa and some extra time with cousins!

Beautiful Legacy

I see ornaments from my childhood on the Christmas tree

And I can’t believe you are gone.

I see gifts you gave the boys

And I can’t believe you are gone.

I hear you say “Hi, dear” as you did every time I called

And I can’t believe you are gone.

I see your photograph on my dresser; I can almost hear you laugh

And I can’t believe you are gone.

But then I remember, you are not gone

You live on in us all!

In the happiness of your children

As they enjoy their lives;

In the strength of your grandchildren

As they forge their own paths;

In the smiles and laughs of your great-grandchildren

As they learn about the world.

You have taught us all so much.

How to live life to the fullest;

How to be confident and courageous in times of strife;

How to look for the good in everyone;

How a good education can open any door;

How hard work leads to amazing results;

And how family is the most important thing in the world

I will always cherish this beautiful legacy you have given us. 

Christmas...Parts 2, 3, and 4!!

I titled this post Christmas...parts 2, 3 and 4 thinking that Christmas Eve was part one.  But if I am really being particular, Christmas with Omi and Grandpa was part 1, Christmas Eve was part 2, Christmas morning/Santa at home was part 3, Christmas at Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin's was part 4, the Dowding yankee swap was part 5 and opening the rest of our gifts earlier today was part 6!  No wonder we are wiped out!!
We had a fun morning at home with the boys, who were pretty excited to see what Santa brought, on Christmas day before heading to RI to begin the day with the Dowding's.  It is a hectic couple of days for us with lots of driving up and down 146 but I wouldn't want it any other way.  We were so overwhelmed and spoiled by everyone else that we waited a few days to open the rest of the gifts under our tree.

Christmas Morning - Santa Gifts




Christmas Day at Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin's


Christmas - Round 6 at home!!

Play Date with the Green's

Mark, Laura, Henry and Charlie were visiting family for the holidays in Massachusetts.  Even with the crazy busy week we have had, we couldn't let this opportunity pass without getting together with them and Nicole.  The boys had fun playing together and the adults even got a chance to catch up a bit (thanks to Mark's mom!). It was a relatively short but nice visit.  I only wish we could see everyone more often!

Christmas Eve

If you are a loyal reader, you are probably familiar with our holiday traditions.  This year we stayed in MA instead of going to WA so that means that tonight we were at Aunt Linda and Uncle Louie's in Cranston, RI.  It is an amazing celebration with food galore and people every where you turn.  This year we were missing one very special lady, Gigi!  While it was difficult to know that she wasn't there, it is comforting to know that she is at peace and is back with Papa, celebrating together and looking down at the wonderful legacy that they left behind.  I think I'll let the photos speak for themselves mostly but as always it was a great night with so many of our loved ones!

Here We Grow Holiday Program

Today was Evan's holiday program at Here We Grow Preschool.  Picture this...twenty-eight three year olds singing and performing seven holiday songs and poems.  Can you say adorable??  They were all so cute in their holiday outfits.  Evan's class wasn't quite as into it as the other class but they still did a great job.  Most of the girls were paying attention and following along.  The boys...well...not as much!  It was a sweet little performance and I am so glad they do this for the parents.  He loved it!  Enjoy the show!



Jingle Bells - They were all great at shaking those bells


S-A-N-T-A - Sweet how quiet and shy they were on this one


Menorah Candle - They all got the "melting" part perfect


Frosty the Snowman - Props seem to help them sing louder (or maybe it's just on the familiar songs)


Reindeer pokey - This one cracks me up (as you can hear in the video)


Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus


We Wish You a Happy Holiday - Love the enthusiasm on "wish"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...Everywhere you go...Including our house!  We went to Sleigh Bell Farm to cut a fresh tree again this year.  It's a fun family outing and we don't have so many needles on the floor at the end of the Christmas season.  Evan and Logan were excited to help pick out the tree and even more so to test out all of the "face in a hole"s at the farm.  We tried to get a photo for the Christmas card but...we'll you can see for yourself how that worked out.
We have had a lot of fun decorating the entire house, little by little.  For some reason doing things with a three year old and a 16 month old takes a lot longer!  The boys have been excited and interested in helping with everything but we have had to be a bit careful where we put some of the decorations.  There are some curious little fingers running around these days!  We even decided to put our tree in the back corner of the house so that it was a bit more out of the way.  It's been a great start to the holiday season continuing some old traditions from each of our families (making Oma's cookies and putting up a village like Papa's) while starting some new ones of our own.

Christmas with Omi & Grandpa

Since 2003 when Bruce and I were married, we have gone to Washington for every other Christmas.  This year, however, we decided traveling at Christmas with two little boys was a bit challenging and so Omi and Grandpa Bob came to see us instead.  They arrived in Boston last Thursday night and by the time Daddy brought them back home it was pretty late.  The boys had dinner and a special story with Omi then headed to bed.  But that was just the beginning of a really fun week.
Friday morning, Omi introduced Evan and Logan to the German tradition of St. Nikolaus who leaves small trinkets for children in their boots on the night of December 5th. Perfect timing Omi and Grandpa! Needless to say the boys were excited about the treats and toys they found in their boots the next morning.  Later in the day, Evan and Omi baked some delicious St. Nikolaus staff pretzel snacks for us to have with our lunch.  Saturday was another fun filled day...Early Christmas!!  The gift exchange was mostly for the boys, as it should be, and they were so excited with what Omi and Grandpa brought for them.  This also led to a few projects for Grandpa and Evan.  They worked to put together Evan's new step stool, the table that Grandpa made for Logan (and Evan), and chairs to go with the table.  Evan was quite the little helper while Logan mostly just played with the box.  Saturday night we went to see the light display at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro.  It was a pretty cold night and there were tons of people but we were able to walk through the light display and see everything just before everyone started getting cold.
After a busy Friday, Saturday and Sunday (MoS), the second half of Omi and Grandpa's visit was a bit more low key.  There were a few more projects in the kitchen with Omi and Evan and lots of time just enjoying the company of two loving grandparents who the boys unfortunately don't get to see all that often.  We will miss seeing them on Christmas but we sure are glad that they were able to come for this early Christmas visit.

Boston Museum of Science

Today we went to the Boston Museum of Science with Omi and Grandpa.  We were looking for something fun to do and while the MoS is a big more than what the boys, especially Logan, are ready for, we still had a great time.  We started with a little animal show with a story, puppet and live tarantula while we were waiting for Daddy and Grandpa to join us.  Then we spent some time in "A Bird's World".  Quite fitting seeing as we were there with Omi!  After checking out a few other exhibits on the lower level, we went to see the dinosaurs.  We saw the 65-million year old triceratops fossil and full size t-rex model. After lunch, we played on the musical stairs before heading to an electricity show.  It was quite loud and dark in there so Logan, Evan, and I didn't stay for long.  The boys had fun in the full-size model of the Apollo capsule and then had fun exploring scale models of all sorts of things including a giant grasshopper and a set of very large teeth.  We ended the day in the Science in the Park exhibit where the boys could run, jump, swing, play and explore before heading back to the car for a long ride home.  There is so much more that we didn't get to explore and we will certainly be heading back to the MOS many more times with our budding scientists!

Cousins!!

We have been having Kavanagh cousins get together's for a number of years now.  We have talked about having one on the Dowding side but never actually made it happen...Until now!  Well sort of.  We were missing 3 of the 8 cousins but at least we tried.  It was a low key night at Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin's not quite like the Kavanagh cocktail bracket from last year but I guess that just means there is room for improvement.  It was still great to see everyone and I hope that we can do it more often...maybe even sometime when everyone can attend!

Gobble, Gobble!

If you are a dedicated reader of this blog, I'm sure you know the drill by now.  Thanksgiving in our house means the Macy's Day parade and waiting for Santa; dinner with the Dowding's at Uncle Bob and Aunt Chris's house with enough food to feed at least twice as many people as there are; dessert at Uncle Rick and Aunt Donna's house with the ever growing Kavanagh's.  Once again, no pictures from the Kavanagh side.  I guess we are pretty tired by that point in the day.  Or maybe we are just making and creating mental memories instead of capturing them on camera.  As always we have much to be thankful for, most importantly our friends and family near and far!

Holiday Preparations

Holiday preparations are underway...and I have the two best little helpers!

Mixing up the first batch of pumpkin bread

Looks pretty gooey

What do you mean I'm not helping?

Playing a holiday tune

Evan Reads to Logan

Logan is becoming more and more interested in books lately and Evan has always loved to read and be read to.  Conveniently enough, we have quite a few books that Evan can ready to Logan.  It's really quite sweet!

Papa & Gramma are home!

Papa & Gramma are home for the holidays!  Today we had a fun afternoon with them doing all of our favorite things...being silly with Papa, playing with all the toys they have, reading and relaxing with Gramma.  We love having them home!

Sofia and Emily

Today we went to visit Sofia and Emily (and Ethan and Stacey) at their new home in Newtown.  They moved this summer from western Mass so that Ethan could be closer to his new business in Framingham.  It was great to see them all and catch up.  I can't believe how grown-up Sofia is.  She is a sweet, smart little girl and Evan loves playing with her.  Emily was napping for some of the time while we were there but she has a sweet little personality too.  It was fun seeing everyone play together and we hope to be able to get together more often now that they are a little closer.





(I am posting this in February 2014, a bit late, but while we were visiting, Sofia gave Evan a rainbow loom bracelet.  He has worn this bracelet almost everyday since and has a safe place for keeping it at night.  So sweet!)

Feasts

In preparation for Thanksgiving, we have been having a lot of feasts this month.  Some have been real food but most of them consist of wooden or plastic food and legos.  Some of the feasts have even had assigned seating and decorations as well.  It has been quite fun.  Logan likes to participate too by putting the "food" he "eats" down his shirt into his belly...nom, nom, nom!

Dizzy, dizzy

This has become a bit of a nightly ritual at our house lately.  It makes me dizzy just watching them but they love it!!


And this remains to be a favorite as well.

Leaves, leaves and more leaves

It seems as though all we have done this fall is rake, rake, rake.  Maybe we started too soon, maybe more of our neighbors leaves have blown into our yard, maybe it is always this way.  Whatever the reason, the boys have had fun "helping", playing, and jumping in leaf piles.



These videos are pretty short and similar but I couldn't decide which was best.  The joy in Evan's face is priceless...This is what being a kid is all about!

PJ Pals

Over the last couple of months, Evan has been wanting to pick out his own PJ's.  He likes to choose which ones he wants to wear and also which ones Logan should wear.  They have some that match exactly, some that match in theme and others that are totally different.  Evan gets quite a kick out of having matching PJ's (and regular clothes) with Logan.  And he almost always wants a picture taken.  Logan is happy to go along with it too!



A performance in the matching monkey PJs.  I love Logan's dance moves!

Burpees!

I am doing a 75 day burpee challenge.  Today I had a little burpee buddy.

Feet Back

Push Up

Feet In

Jump Up

He needs to work on his form a little bit but not bad for a three year old!

Under the Weather

Logan hasn't been feeling too great this past week.  He had a cold and pink eye again.  Poor little guy.  He was more snugly than usual but not super whiny or needy.  Hope he's feeling better soon!

Pirates and Princesses

Back in August, my friend Jenna told me about a Disney Jr. show that was coming to the Hanover Theater in Worcester.  It was Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Sophia the First.  We all know how much Evan loves Jake and he is also a big fan of Sophia.  Bruce and I decided that we wanted to take him but knew that Logan would never sit through the show.  We decided to purchase 4 tickets and take Evan and Sean while Grammy got some one-on-one time with Logan.
Well today was the show.  Neither Sean nor Evan knew where we were going.  We went to the 99 for lunch before the show and then went to the theater.  We told them when we were parked that we were going to a Jake show.  They were both really excited!
It was a great show!  Complete with Doc McStuffins, Minnie and Mickey, Cinderella and Peter Pan, all of whom Evan adores.  Sean took a little bit to warm up but once he did, both boys really enjoyed the show.  It was as much fun as I had hoped it would be.  I just loved watching their faces as they watched the show.  What a special day spent with two special three year olds!!  This is what being a mom and auntie is all about...making memories!!



Not quite as excited as I had hoped they would be on video but they were really excited once we got out of the car

Next Tom Brady??

When Evan was a bit younger he used to say he was "the next Tom Brady."  After this game of catch today, maybe he is...or maybe the next Wes Welker.  Great throws and great catches tonight!

Tablet Time

Both boys love their tablet/phone/computer time.  Evan gets a chance a couple of times a week but Logan less often.  He loves it when he can have the tablet all to himself!!

Look what I can do using just my fingers!

So fun!

I love how he wiggles and gets so excited!

Fingerpainting

A messy but super fun activity if you are three years old!

Kidz Kastle

Today was another fun play date and lunch day with  Sean and Auntie Karin.  This time we went to Kidz Kastle in RI, then to Uno's and to Bumpa's for a quick visit before heading home.  It sure is fun watching these boys play together!



Fierce competition between 3 year olds


As if Logan wasn't wobbly enough


A Ride on the Tea Cups

Handsome Boys

I don't recall if there was a particular reason the boys were so handsome on this random November Monday but they were and I couldn't help by snap a few photos.

Singing in the Rain

It seemed a shame to let such a warm November day pass without playing outside...Even if it was raining.  A little at first and then harder and harder ultimately cutting our outside time a bit short but it was fun while it lasted!

Halloween!

At the beginning of September, Evan had decided that he wanted to be a firefighter for Halloween again this year.  It was mostly because of the fireman rain boots that Omi sent but it was fine with me because we already had everything we needed.  We had even thought about asking Auntie Karin if she still had the dalmatian costume that Sean wore when Danny was a fireman in 2010.  However, a couple of weeks ago, Evan decided that he wanted to be Batman.  This was pretty easy too because Santa had brought him a cape and mask last year for Christmas.  We needed a shirt, pants, and Batman belt and we were all set.  I found a shirt and pants at Target (that he will be able to wear for a while...win, win! And wants to wear everyday!) and purchased what we needed to make a Batman belt.  Once Evan decided to be Batman, we decided that Logan would be a monkey...quite fitting seeing as he is a monkey everyday!!
Today, Evan wore his costume to school and had a Halloween party and parade at school.  Logan and I went to see the parade.  Too cute!!  40+ 3 year olds, dressed in costume, wandering walking through the parking lot at Here We Grow, stopping to wave to mom or dad and trick or treat...too funny!  The boys and I had lunch at 99, came home to examine Evan's goodies from school and rest up before going trick-or-treating tonight.  It was a warm night and thankfully the rain from earlier had stopped.  We went to 10 houses, got more candy than a 3 year old and a 1 year old need, and called it a night.  I was a little disappointed that we couldn't continue our tradition of going to the Millbury library, trick-or-treating at town hall and then to see Daddy at work but today was a really fun day too!  I guess maybe some traditions don't last too long but new ones are just as nice.



Batman flies through the air


I didn't get a great video of it but Logan's monkey tail was so cute...wagging from side to side.  I don't remember it doing that when Evan was a monkey but then again he had been walking for longer than Logan has when he wore it so maybe it didn't wag so much

World Series Champions!!

The Boston Red Sox are World Series Champions!!!!!  

And Evan is SO excited!!

He did open his eyes to peek at the celebration for about 3 seconds

Ok, buddy, back to bed!

Beautiful Fall Weather

We have had some spectacular fall weather this year.  Mild temperatures, lots of sun, little rain.  So much so that when we were on vacation, I checked a few times to see if my weather icon was showing temperatures for Millbury or the Florida Keys.  Today was another beautiful day!  We played outside for a while after running to the grocery store, mostly riding bikes and just enjoying the day!  Cooler, rainy weather is on its way later this week...I wish we could just hang on to this weather until spring...guess we'll just have to enjoy it while we can!



Evan has been getting better and better at balancing for a long time on his bike.  Here's proof...well until the end...

Walking!

Just a little over 2 weeks ago while we were visiting Papa and Gramma, Logan took his first steps!  He was about one month slower than his brother to crawl and also about one month slower to walk than Evan.  This seems funny to me though because Logan's gross motor skills seem more advanced than Evan's were as far as getting on and off ride on toys and also climbing the stairs.  He was walking some when Bruce and I were in the keys but still mainly crawling.  Well now, just 2 weeks later, he is mainly walking...walking approaching running!!  He can get up easily when he falls, even if he is in the middle of the room.  He can turn around quickly, step over things, walk while carrying Barky and other toys and even walk while drinking his milk!  While it is amazing to watch I can't help but think...what happened to my baby??  He is growing up so fast!

Adam's Farm

When I saw that Groupon was offering another deal for the family fun day at Adam's farm, I decided to buy it.  We had such a good time with Emily, Jason and Annalia last year that we asked them if they wanted to join us again this year.  We met for lunch at Uno's in Smithfield and then headed to the farm to enjoy the beautiful day!

Evan's First Dentist Appointment

Today I took Evan to the dentist for the first time.  I had made the appointment a few weeks ago after the tooth fairy visited school and delivered brushes, paste and floss for all the kids.  He was quite excited about it.  I made the appointment for a day that Bruce would be working from home so that I could just take Evan and not have to juggle Logan too.  Well, as luck would have it, Bruce needed to go into the office today so off we went, in the middle of Logan's prime nap time, to the dentist.   I wasn't sure how it would go but I was hoping for the best.
And the best is exactly what I got!  The boys were so good!  Evan climbed right up into the hygienist's chair and wasn't scared at all, a bit curious but not scared.  He did everything she asked him to do, opened his mouth super wide, rinsed and spit like a pro, and was just perfect for Dr. Dave too!  Logan sat on the tooth chair for a bit and then wanted me to hold him.  He just looked around, checked everything out and took it all in.  It was certainly a proud Momma moment for me!  Great to know that our hard work is paying off!!  Plus, Evan is part of the "No Cavity Club"!  Who says the dentist has to be something to be afraid of?

Apple Picking at Tougas

Today was Evan's first field trip for school.  The three-year olds from Here We Grow preschool went apple picking at Tougas Family farm.  I would have loved to have chaperoned but there were no siblings allowed.  So I dropped Evan off with his teachers, feeling a little guilty that I couldn't join them once I saw how many other moms were there.  While Evan was off having a great time with his classmates, Logan and I had some fun of our own - snacking on apple cider donuts, picking apples, and playing at the picnic tables.  



I'm not sure what Logan was doing here but he was having so much fun playing in the mulch...all boy!

Redneck

In the style of Jeff Foxworthy...if you attach your kid's sled to your tractor, you might be a redneck!

But your "kid" will have lots of fun and love you for it!




Evan's solo ride


Evan and Logan ride together

Kavanagh Cousins Get Together

We haven't had as many cousins get togethers lately.  In fact the last Kavanagh cousins get together was almost one year ago.  Everyone is so busy and getting sitters is always tough so today we hosted a family one.  It was a beautiful day and so fun to have all the kids running around and playing together.  A bit different than the typical get together, especially the last one, but still a great day spent with wonderful people!  Thanks to all those who made the trek to Millbury!  Let's try to do this a bit more often, ok?

Pete & Christine's Wedding

Yesterday we celebrated the wedding of Pete and Christine in Wellfleet, MA.  It was a beautiful day for a wedding that took place at an amazing location.  It actually reminded me of our ceremony at Smith's Castle.  It was an intimate gathering with lots of non-typical wedding things - hoagies, cornhole, and s'mores just to name a few - and it was awesome!!  Christine thought of every detail to perfectly execute her garden theme.  The entire day was perfectly Pete and Christine!  We wish them a very happy marriage with years of love, happiness and good health to come!

Dirt Pile

If you are a little boy, what's better than playing in a dirt pile??  Playing in a HUGE dirt pile!!  This will be motivation to do something with that space that we had cleared back in August.

Kidz Wurld

Back in June, Auntie Karin and I bought a Groupon for Kidz Wurld in North Attleboro figuring we would take the boys sometime for a fun day.  It didn't expire until October 3rd so we had plenty of time to use it.  Well that time (aka summer) flew by and now it's already the middle of September.  Well we went today minus Danny because he was at school and then went to lunch at Chelo's.  It was a fun place with lots to do for all ages, I just wish they would allow you to bring snacks and drinks instead of having to purchase them there and that the "extra" rides and games weren't so expensive .  The boys had a good time though so we might go back again some other time.  It was Logan's first time at a play place where he was actually playing and he was much more adventurous than Evan was at his first time.

Fall Fun with Friends

Today we spent the day with Leah and Caleb.  We hadn't seen Caleb since last July and I can't get over what a little man he has become.  He is such a sweet, smart and kind little boy.  He certainly takes after his momma!
It was a beautiful day so we spent as much time outside as possible.  The boys played soccer for a while in the yard, then we had lunch on the deck.  After lunch and Logan's nap, we headed to West End Creamery for an afternoon of fall fun and ice cream!  They have everything there for a complete day, ranging from mini golf and the barnyard jump to the corn maze to tractor rides and tire climbs.  What a fabulous late summer/early fall day spent with friends who we don't get to see nearly often enough!

Pirates, Ahoy!

Everyone knows that Evan loves pirates, especially Jake.  He has been sharing that love with Logan, who now dances anytime he sees anything Jake likely singing the TV theme song in his head.  Here Evan and Logan got a chance to set sail in their very own pirate ship complete with mast and sail, steering wheel, flag and anchor thanks to daddy.

 

Happy birthday, Daddy!

Daddy's birthday was a two-day celebration this year...well sort of.  On Daddy's actually birthday, the boys and I went to Papa & Gramma's to enjoy one last pool day for the year while Daddy worked at home.  He did get to enjoy a juicy, delicious Washington peach that Omi sent with his lunch.  Then for dinner we went to Eighty-Ates.  We had never been there before but enjoyed our meal relatively well and would likely go back sometime.  Today, Evan and I made Daddy's birthday pie and we had a little celebration after dinner.  So it was a two-day celebration but a very low key one.  Happy birthday, Daddy!

Woolie World

A couple of weeks ago while at the playground at Auburn High School, I got to talking with a woman who was asking about other playgrounds that we visit.  She asked if we had been to Woolie World.  I didn't think we had but then after talking with her more, I realized that it was the playground that we walk to in Millbury.  She said they had redone it, painted it and added on so we decided to check it out again (we hadn't been there since this spring).  We went last week and were so impressed that we decided to meet Isabelle and TJ there again today for a play date and picnic lunch.  The big kids had so much fun playing with the rubber mulch and going down the twisty slide over and over again.  Nice to take advantage of Jenna's extended maternity leave while we can!

(The first seven pictures are from when we went alone.  The remaining are from when we met the Stanley's.)

Daddy Goes Camping

Daddy went camping again this weekend with the guys so I had a nice weekend with my little guys.  We had some ups and downs on Friday but did manage to make it out for dinner.  Saturday we went to see Papa and Gramma, spent the night and then went to Uncle Alan and Aunt Kim's for some of the Pats game on Sunday.  It was a relatively quiet weekend but still nice!

These boots were made for walkin'

When we arrived home today there was a package on the stairs.  I hadn't ordered anything and neither had Bruce.  When I opened it I saw that Omi had.  Omi sent Evan two nice pairs of boots...fireman rain boots and nice warm snow boots.  Evan was thrilled and needed to try them on right away!  He was even so excited about the fireman rain boots that he wants to be a firefighter for Halloween again this year.  Fine by me...we already have the costume!!  Thanks, Omi!

Can I have a mulligan?

Daddy was camping with the guys and Uncle Dan and Papa were at Pete's bachelor party so Auntie Karin and I thought it would be fun to get the boys together for some mini golf and then meet Gramma and Grammy for dinner at the 99.  Fun, huh?  Well that all depends on your definition of fun.  We had one player who was taking the game quite seriously and getting upset that the other two weren't.  We had one player who always got a hole in one...I guess that happens when you start your ball only inches away from the hole.  We had one player who was quite distracted and spacey who was quite hard to keep on task.  And we had one player who wanted to walk the course instead of ride.  I'll let you figure out who was who.  Dinner at 99 was...interesting!  Nothing really bad just 4 tired boys, 2 stressed mommys and 1 Gramma and 1 Grammy who probably would have had a more enjoyable dinner if they just went out together.  Oh well, it's all about making memories, right?  Well, it certainly was a memorable night!  Next time I say the dads and Papa stay home and the moms, Gramma and Grammy go away!

Logan's First Tractor Ride

Evan has always loved to ride on the tractor with Daddy while he mows the lawn and until recently he hasn't had any real competition.  In the spring, Logan was content to sit with me and watch Daddy and Evan ride the tractor.  Then sometime mid-summer, Logan became more and more interested in the tractor...pointing, talking and squawking at it.  Today he got his first ride.  He was a little nervous at first and was holding on for dear life but by the end he really liked it.  Next year I think we might need a "ride with daddy mowing schedule"!

Here We Grow!

Today was Evan's first day of preschool at Here We Grow in Auburn.  As a mom who has been home with her little guy since the day he was born, this was a big day for us!  It was the first time that we would be taking Evan somewhere and leaving him there for a few hours when he wasn't with friends or family or our trusted babysitter.  I have known this day was coming since the spring when we decided which preschool to send him too and I experienced just about every emotion possible today.  Happy, sad, anxious, excited, nervous...you name it, I felt it all.  Would the other kids play with Evan...would he play with them?  Would they be nice to him...would he freak out if something didn't quite go his way?  Would he like it...would he learn a lot?  Would he remember to use his manners...would he have an accident?  I could go on and on.
We have been talking about him going to school in the recent weeks, trying to explain a little bit of what he could expect.  He would go from being excited about it to nervous to anxious.  I guess he was feeling all of the same things as I was.
Today, after I shed a few tears last night, we woke up, got dressed, had breakfast and headed out the door.  We took a few minutes for some photos at home and then we were off.  I was doing ok, a bit stressed but ok, until I started the car.  Then the water works started. I tried hard not to let Evan know I was crying, I didn't want him to be upset.  He was quite all the way there in the car and thankfully I was able to pull it together.  We went in the building, washed hands as is the procedure at HWG, and got in line to head into his classroom.  Evan got started at the play-doh table just inside the door and was doing ok.  I on the other hand was fighting back tears the entire time (as I am doing now...and I am posting this 4 weeks later)!  I kissed him on the top of the head and basically ran out of the room.  I didn't want him to see me crying and I didn't want to be THAT mom.  Thankfully Bruce was with us so he said goodbye to Evan and drove home so I didn't have to try and see through the tears.  Deep down I knew he would be fine and I knew that with time he would come to love preschool but he is still my baby and is growing up way too fast!  I went back to pick Evan up two and a half hours later and he had had a great day!  Let's hope that this is the start of a very successful school career for our little man!



(As I mentioned, I am posting this late and Evan has already completed 4 weeks of school.  The second day drop-off was much harder on both of us because Evan was crying and he didn't want me to leave.  There were a couple of other days when he was reluctant to go but not too bad and one day in particular that just broke my heart.  He had been saying all morning that he didn't want to go to school, he didn't want me to start the car or park the car, etc.  I knew it was going to be tough.  He pulled it together for the most part but then when I went to leave and looked back at him, he was standing in the middle of the room, crying, sad and needing a hug.  It took everything I had not to pick him up and take him home.  That was week 2 or 3.  Last week there were no issues and on Thursday when we pulled in to the parking lot, Evan shouted "School!"  He is beginning to really like it and even sits with the other kids a circle time, which he didn't do for the first 3 days.)

Bye, Bye Summer

How is it possible that it is already Labor Day?  Didn't I just post about our Memorial Day cookout at Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin's house?   Well, I'm sad to say but another summer has mostly come and gone.  We had a good one but I am always sad to see it end as the days get shorter and cooler.  Unfortunately, we couldn't even squeeze in one more pool day at Papa and Gramma's today...the weather didn't cooperate.  We still had a great day and the boys played quite nicely together.

Other August Favorites

I couldn't let the month go by without including these photos and videos.  Some precious moments captured here!



Here are a few videos of Logan doing one of the things he does best...being silly!!

365 Days of Evan

Once I started taking daily pictures of Logan, I began feeling like I wasn't taking many pictures of Evan.  I decided to start a 365 days of Evan as well.  It's harder to get "good" pictures because he is always on the move but I love seeing all of his different activities.  Enjoy!

(edit 3/31) I added the note below to Logan's 365 days post.  It is even more true for Evan.  I could write 3-4 posts per day on just the things Evan says and does.  Considering I am at any given point and time weeks behind in posting that is just not possible!  This will have to suffice.  It is often hard to pick just one photo! I think you will notice a theme in the pictures from March...determination and concentration.

When I started the 365 days of Logan at the beginning of the year, I felt that captioning (is that even a word?) every photo for the year was a bit OCD out of control so I decided not to.  But then for many photos I found that there was a cute moment or story being lost because I wasn't captioning each photo.  I'm not saying that every photo will have a caption but I am going to start adding some in hopes of capturing those little moments without creating a new post entirely.  (If I ever get caught up and have nothing else to do...not likely with two little monkeys keeping me busy...I will go back and caption January and February.) I will indicate if the photos have been used twice.

(edit 4/30) Evan is always on the go, loving life and living it to the fullest.  He loves to be outside and be silly!

(edit May/June) I made it 5 full months but missed my first day for Evan on June 1st.  I included a photo from June 1st last year...when Evan used to sit and pose for pictures.  Now he's always on the move!

(edit July) Hard to believe how quickly the summer is going and how big our little guy is getting!

(edit August) Enjoying the end of the summer before Evan starts preschool next month..

Deck Party

The Cenotti's have been working on a big project all summer long...redoing their deck.  Well it is finally finished and what better way to celebrate than to have a party to test the weight.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn't too great so we were inside most of the day but still a great day with wonderful people.



Optimus Prime sings Twinkle, Twinkle

Movin', Movin', Movin'...

...Keep that Logan movin'!

Movin' has definitely been the theme of the month for Logan.  Whether he is rocking, dancing, walking, mowing, crawling or riding, one thing is for sure...he is always on the move!!  Logan has been a bit slower with words than Evan was but he is well ahead of him in gross motor skills, probably because he is always trying to keep up with Evan.

(Some day I'll find the time to learn how to edit and splice together video.  Until then, you are stuck with mini clips.  Sorry!)

Rocking on Rocky


Dancing on Rocky - the best dancing is in the first 30 seconds


Walking with Geoffrey - these are some of Logan's first "unassisted" steps


Dancing to the fish - there are a few of Evan's latest moves in here too


Hocus Pocus Rocking - Rocking in Daddy's old hocus pocus chair


Lawn Mowing - if only these little mowers really worked


Riding Pewi - he can really get this thing going sometimes


Spinning in the jumper - I love the one footed push and twirl.  He loves to get dizzy just like Evan!


Walker - He is really starting to figure out how to turn the walker to get where he wants to go


Walking with daddy - So proud of his new skills

Sweet Tooth and the Sugarbabies

While we were at Jen and Mike's wedding last night, I told Auntie Karin that we should go see Sweet Tooth and the Sugarbabies the next time they are playing at Chelo's Waterfront. Well that was today! I wasn't sure if we really had it in us to go and dance the day away again but we did. It was a beautiful day and it was fun to dance with the boys! Evan wasn't quite as into it as I hoped he would be (not like last year) but Logan sure was...he never stopped dancing all day!

Land Clearing

When we moved into this house 7+ years ago, we had great visions for the back yard.  Much of the immediate yard was already in great shape but the jungle behind the house was more than we wanted.  We have made some progress over the last 7 years but not nearly as much as we would have liked.  This year I finally put my foot down and decided there would be enough work to do once the land was cleared and that it made sense to have someone come and do the clearing for us.  Yesterday the machine was dropped off and today the work was completed.  Evan, as you can see, loved sitting in the excavator and both boys enjoyed watching it work!  Now the fun of getting the land ready and actually planting begins...what have we gotten ourselves into???  Maybe it was better just being a jungle??  Stay tuned for after pictures...coming...who knows when!!

Murphazzo Extravaganza!

Tonight we had the pleasure of being present at the wedding of two of the nicest people you will ever meet, my cousin Jen and her husband Mike.  As soon as I saw Jen at the back of the church waiting with Uncle Pat to walk down the aisle, I teared up and got the chills, something that has never happened to me before!  She was an absolutely beautiful bride about to marry a great guy who has become part of our family over the last 4+ years.  They had a perfect day for a wonderful celebration!  Congratulations, Mike and Jen!  May you have many, many years of love and happiness together!

The Doc Is In!

And boy was she busy!!  We went to Franklin Park Zoo today because we heard that Doc McStuffin's and the Doc Mobile were going to be there.  We arrived at the zoo a little later than planned for a few reasons...a late start due to sleeping in a bit, road closures and traffic jams due to the Dominican Parade in Jamaica Plain, and every toddler in MA wanting to see Doc.  We had a quick lunch before locating the Doc Mobile.  Once we found it, it was clear that there was no way we were getting in!  She was only there until 4 pm and by 1:30 they had already closed the line because it was over 3 hours long!  I thought there was going to be a major meltdown when we told Evan that we couldn't see Doc but he was totally fine with it.  Instead of waiting in line for 3 hours, we enjoyed the zoo, the playground and even had a ride on the carousel.  In general, we weren't super impressed with the zoo.  There were many animals off exhibit but the gorillas were really cool and the boys LOVED the playground!

Projects with Daddy

Evan has always loved to help Daddy with projects around the house and now Logan is catching on too.  We completed two projects this weekend that have been long overdue.  1. Fixing the mailbox from when it was hit and knocked over 2+ years ago while we were in Florida.  Bruce fixed it then but not as a permanent fix.  And 2. Building a trellis for the tomato plant to climb on.  The tomato project required that the mailbox was fixed first because Bruce was going to reuse the brace.  It was a great way to get a few things on the "to-do list" done...especially with two super cute and eager helpers!!

McCray's Farm

Today we spent the day at McCray's farm with Emily.  We have been talking about doing this for a while and finally made it happen.  It was a beautiful day to enjoy the petting zoo, feed the animals, have lunch, play mini golf, and have an ice cream treat before heading home.  What a great place to enjoy a fun afternoon with kids!  Definitely a place we will have to visit again!

NHS Play Date

It has been quite some time since we last got together with some of my former co-workers for a play date.  We saw Jenna and Belle in February but they have had a new addition, TJ, since then.  We hadn't seen Mindy and Jayten in over a year and they too have had a new addition since then, Camren.  Funny how we each had our first babies in 2010 and now the second children have all been born around the same time too.  We had a great day at the Stanley's house playing with all of Isabelle's toys, swimming, and swinging...what more could 6 children 3 and younger want!!  Great to see some old NHS pals and catch up!

Camping River Bend

Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin have been talking about buying a camper for a couple of years now and this week Uncle Dan bought one for Auntie Karin for her birthday!  Well sort of.  They bought a big pop up camper and picked it up on Saturday afternoon.  Uncle Dan arrived back in Warwick with it around 4 o'clock, they loaded up and headed out for their first camping trip at River Bend in Oneco, CT and we joined them!  I wasn't sure how it would go with Logan (picturing dirt and pine needle camp sites with him crawling around and putting things in his mouth) but it was great.  A nice big grassy site with lots of space for the boys to play and roam.  This was quite the camping experience too.  Not only does the camper have everything you could ever need...running water, electricity, heat, etc...the campground had all sorts of events including a karaoke dance party on Saturday night and an extensive bingo game Sunday morning.  Papa, Gramma and Grammy even came for a visit on Sunday.  It was a beautiful weekend and we were so glad to be there on their inaugural camping trip!  Looking forward to making lots of camping memories for years to come!  (Did I really just type that??? Obviously, it's not roughin' it!)



Squealing like a pig while being tickled by Auntie!


Not sure what I like better Logan's dancing or Uncle Dan's dancing

Omi's August Visit

We were fortunate that Omi was able to come visit again for Logan's birthday.  In addition to attending the concert on the common and celebrating Logan's birthday with a party and at the zoo,we had lots of fun with her, both at home and out.  I think the pictures speak for themselves.  Thanks for another great visit, Omi!  Maybe next time Grandpa can come too!