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!

Happy First Birthday, Logan!

Dear Logan-
Happy birthday, little one!  I can hardly believe that it has been one year already!  It seems like just yesterday that we were meeting you for the first time, introducing you to your big brother and everyone else in the family and bringing you home with us.  In the last year, we have grown to love you so much!
You are such a good baby.  You hardly ever fuss unless you are hungry or tired and even then you tend to just roll with the punches.  Your big brother is often the squeaky wheel but you generally seem to be ok with that.  You are often happy to play on your own, especially when you have a chance to play with Evan's toys.  You love music and dance whenever you hear it, just like Evan.
I am amazed when I think about how helpless you were when you were born (as all babies are), totally dependent on mom and dad for everything.  Now you can feed yourself, crawl to where you want to go, and communicate with noises and gestures.  Before long you will be walking and talking!  I already know you are a smart little boy as you understand what we are saying to you and can follow basic commands already.
You have five teeth with a few more on the way, are wearing size 18 month clothes and size 4 diapers.  Your favorite foods are fruit, especially watermelon and strawberries, cheese, yogurt, and basically anything else mommy, daddy or Evan are eating.  If someone around you is eating, you crawl over to beg at their feet for a bite, as if we never feed you!  You sing to your food just like Uncle Ty.  While grocery shopping, when you see fruit, you start saying "Nom, nom, nom, nom" quite loudly, almost demanding bites before we leave the store.  You aren't crazy about using a sippy cup but that's ok because I can get a fix of snuggle time with you while I give you a bottle.
You have become such a part of our family that I can't imagine our life without you.  I have already witnessed a close bond between you and Evan, one which continues to grow everyday!  I know there will be plenty of times when you boys fight and aren't getting along but my hope is that you will always be best friends, especially as adults!  Thank you for being an amazing little guy and bringing such joy into our life.  We love you so much!!
Love always,
Mom.

Amazing how much changes in just one year?

Happy Birthday to Zoo, Logan!

What a perfect day to celebrate the most special little one year old in the world!  We spent the day at Southwick's zoo with Omi on her last day here in MA and it was beautiful!!  Not too hot, not too crowded...just perfect!  After a fun filled day at the zoo, complete with a few rides for Evan, we went to 99 for a birthday dinner.  It was the first restaurant that Logan ever went to so it was only fitting to return for his first birthday!  A wonderful day for our little man!

Logan's Barky Birthday Party

Today we celebrated a very special first birthday for the little love bug that we call Logameister!  Happy first birthday, little guy!  How is it that time seems to pass faster and faster with each week, month, year??  We wanted to keep the party small and simple but still special for Logan so we only invited immediate family and didn't go crazy with a theme.  When I think about Logan and what he likes...well, anything that Evan likes!  But he does have something special all his own, his "welcome to the world" gift from his big brother and best snuggle buddy, Barky!  For this reason, I decided to make a Barky cake.  I'm no Cake Boss but I think it turned out pretty good.  We had a wonderful day, enjoyed the beautiful weather, made it inside before the rain, and celebrated our little boy who is getting too big too fast!  Happy birthday, Logan!  We love you!!

Dancing and Riding

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful day today and go to the concert on the common.  We hadn't been to one yet this year because Logan is often napping around noon time but today with Daddy home, we made it work.  Evan, Omi and I went to the concert with a picnic lunch to listen to Pendragon.  This is one of my favorite groups that does these summer concerts because one of their members step dances to a few songs.  Today, Evan was eager to dance but then shy when he was in front of people.  Towards the end of the show though he did go on "stage" and step dance.
When the concert was over, Daddy and Logan came to join us so that we could go for a walk/bike ride on the bike path.  Evan hadn't been riding his bike a ton lately but his balance was certainly improved since the last time on the path.  What a great way to enjoy a beautiful day!