Fun with Logan

I have really been enjoying my time with Logan this fall.  It is nice to have some time with just him while Evan is at school.  It's kind of funny because when Evan was the age that Logan is now, I didn't really get much time alone with him because we had Logan.  It is nice to see Logan's personality developing and to watch him change and grow so quickly...too quickly!  We have fun doing all sorts of things - running errands, playing at home, meeting friends for morning play dates, or just snuggling on the couch together.  He is certainly my little buddy and I love it!

Some of my favorite Logan-isms right now are:
"I do good job, mommy?"/"I good helper, mommy?"
"Wanna play with me, mommy?"
"That's good singing back there" - after a song ends in the car
and so many more...



A little live action to see just how full of life Logan is

Santa's Little Elves

The two little Christmas elves living in our house have been very busy these last few weeks.  They have helped with everything from picking out a Christmas tree to wrapping presents to baking cookies to decorating to putting up the village to doing Christmas projects and so much more!  They have worked hard to fill our house with holiday love and cheer...something of which we can never have too much.  Happy holidays from our little elves!

Millbury Chain of Lights

Each year the town of Millbury hosts the Chain of Lights.  It is an event where many local businesses host holiday activities for families to enjoy as they stroll through town on a Sunday early in December.  In the 8+ years that we have lived in Millbury, we had never attended until today.  We started with lunch at the Pizza Chef where they had a live band playing and singing Christmas carols.  Next we stopped by to see the Boy Scouts on the common who were making s'mores and giving away hot chocolate which was much appreciated on this cold day.  After taking a horse drawn sleigh ride through town, we stopped in at a local dentist's office for some popcorn and a balloon.  Next we went to the Asa Waters Mansion to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus and to hear the reading of The Night Before Christmas.  We finished up our day with a stop at one of our favorite places in town, the library.  We only stopped in at a few of the many places but we had a great day!

Trouble x2!

Tonight while Bruce and I were finishing up dinner, the boys, who had already had dinner earlier, were upstairs playing quietly together.  At one point, I even commented to Bruce about how they were playing nicely together.  We could hear them but they weren't being crazy and they weren't fighting...so we thought!
When Bruce went upstairs after dinner, this is what he found.

The boys had emptied out Logan's entire dresser containing clothes of various sizes and seasons.  Now, normally Evan is quick to tattle if Logan isn't doing the right thing but I guess that only applies to when Logan isn't doing what Evan wants him to do.  Instead, this time, big brother joined right in!  After what was already a bit of a difficult day, what else could I do but take pictures and laugh...Good thing I love these boys so much!

Standing in his crib, admiring his work

Guilty, guilty!  My favorite parts of the video are Evan from the background "I helped" and Logan's response to what do you say to mommy..."Thank you, Mommy".  Little turkeys!

Mall Fun

I often run my errands with Logan while Evan is at school because it is easier with just one than it is with two, even when they are well behaved.  But I have been noticing that Evan often sounds disappointed when Logan tells him where we went or what we did while Evan was at school.  Today I decided to stop in at the Auburn Mall after picking Evan up.  It was a cold day, too cold to play outside so I figured it would be a good way to break up the afternoon.  The boys had fun exploring all of the ride-on toys at the mall and choose to ride the horse and rocket ship over the Santa's village train.  That's ok because Santa was on a break anyway.  They each choose one thing from the toy/candy machine and one ride in addition to the carousel.  It was a fun little afternoon with these sweet boys.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Thanksgiving celebration was a bit quieter this year than in years passed.  We started the day with the Macy's parade as usual.  The boys weren't super interested and I have to say I don't blame them.  The entire first hour was just NBC promoting their own shows and Broadway musicals.  Unfortunately by the time we were able to see many of the floats, balloons and bands, they had mostly lost interest.
When the parade was over, we quickly video conferenced with Omi and Grandpa Bob, who were visiting the Smuckers in Montana.  It is nice to be able to "see" them even though we can't be with them today.  Then we headed to RI for our Thanksgiving feast at Uncle Bob and Aunt Chris's.  It was a smaller gathering this year, only 21 people.  Still plenty big for such an involved meal!
Normally after the big Dowding feast, we go to have dessert with the Kavanagh's but unfortunately Aunt Donna and Uncle Rick weren't feeling up to it this year.  It is a huge undertaking and they always host a fabulous day but we understand that it just wasn't in the cards for this year.  We did, however, stop by to drop off some pumpkin bread for them to enjoy over the weekend.  Wishing you lots of love and good health to all of our family today, especially Uncle Rick and Aunt Donna!  Happy Thanksgiving!

First Day of Pre-K 4's

Today was Evan's first day of his second year of preschool...Pre-K 4's...and to quote him "It was AWESOME!"  He began the day by bounding out of his room just after 7:30 am, dressed and ready to go.  He and Logan watched the end of Henry Hugglemonster before heading down stairs for breakfast.  Evan was excited about his breakfast of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and to pack his own lunch bag.  As we were cleaning up from breakfast I told him that I was excited for him, his response was, "I'm excited for me too!"  We snapped some photos, drove to school, washed his hands (per school policy), waited in line to be greeted by his teachers and he didn't look back!  I actually had to ask him to come back and give me a hug and a kiss.  I shed a few tears but nothing like last year.  I enjoyed my alone time with Logan, including lunch that seemed a bit strange without Evan, before heading back to pick up Evan.  He didn't have a whole lot to say other than "It was awesome!"  We continued the special day with a trip to Crystal Caves for mini-golf and ice cream.  Not a bad day for a super special 4-year old!  I can't wait to see him grow and learn this year!

West Hill Dam

Today we took a trip to West Hill Dam with Isabelle and TJ.  We stopped to see their new home in Whitinsville first and then spent a beautiful day at the dam.  We had never been before but it was perfect.  Quiet, clean, peaceful and small enough to keep an eye on the kids from one place.  The kids had so much fun swimming and playing in the sand and actually gave Jenna and I a bit of a chance to catch up and chat...amazing!  And TJ was my little pal, such a little love bug.  It was a great place, close-by to spend a hot day without traveling all the way to the beach.  Thanks for the fun, Belle & TJ!

Fun Day, Monday!

Many Monday's are spent catching up from the weekend (aka doing laundry) or preparing for the week ahead (aka going grocery shopping).  But not today.  Today was all about fun!  I ran to the grocery store quickly (aka on my own!) this morning before heading to drop off Bruce's car for new tires.  I had the boys in the car already so after we dropped Daddy at home, we went to the playground for a while.  We came home, had some lunch and spent the rest of the day outside.  Who knew that so much fun could be had with a pair of rain boots, a bucket and 2 water blasters from the Dollar Store???  Such a beautiful, fun day in the sun!

Logan's 2nd Birthday Sports Party

We had a great day yesterday celebrating Logan's 2nd birthday with a sports themed party.  For a number of reasons, we decided to keep it low key and it was perfect!  The weather was beautiful!  The 4 little monkeys and one lovely lady (Annalia) had lots of fun together...although I'm not so sure that anyone really played any sports...at least not until after Logan opened his presents!  Jonah didn't get to join in much of the fun but he was still super cute and good.  It was a wonderful day, celebrating our little guy who is growing up faster and faster by the day.  We all love you so much, Pal!  Keep making us laugh with that little twinkle in your eye!



Happy Birthday, dear Logan...I love that he sings to himself


Singing along with his phonics bus

Happy birthday, Logan! (Take 2!)

Logan turned two the day after we returned from a short vacation to Pennsylvania that included a trip to Sesame Place.  Needless to say, we were wiped out and didn't do much to celebrate that day. With his party coming up tomorrow, we decided to do a bit of a birthday make-up today.  He opened a couple of birthday presents, we went to the concert on the common and had pizza and a movie night with a movie of Logan's choosing...Cinderella! It has turned into a week plus long celebration for our little guy.  Not a bad deal when you are two!  Love you, pal!



Inaugural ride


The first of many bike spills...


Playing piano

Blueberry Picking

What's better than a trip to the blueberry farm on a beautiful, late July day with four little boys, two moms, a Gramma and a Grammy?  I can't think of anything....can you??
Logan picked and picked but never had more than one blueberry in his bucket, and that was the one that I put in for him.  Every blueberry he picked ended up in his belly!  Just like little Sal!

Hot Air Balloon Festival

Ever since I was in high school, I have wanted to go to the hot air balloon festival in South County.  I don't think of it every year, some years I miss the dates or have other plans, but for one reason or another, we've never been.  Until this year!  I thought it was something that we could do as a family that the boys would enjoy.
I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with the hot air balloon portion of the festival.  There were only about 8-10 balloons that were inflated, but grounded at dusk.  I thought there would be more and I thought they would take off at dusk, even if they remained tethered.  We were able to climb and play inside a balloon on it's side and see them up close but I would have liked to see more.
The boys had a great time riding the rides.  Well, Logan did after his first ride which he cried all the way through and said "Hop down, Mommy, hop down" every time he came by me.  But when it was over, Logan immediately said " 'Gain, 'gain" and then he couldn't get enough.  We watched an amazing tightrope performance by the Flying Wallenda's, had a picnic dinner, enjoyed the fireworks beyond the glow of the hot air balloons and the boys got "real" temporary tattoos.  All in all it was a much needed fun family night!

Need a good laugh??

You'll want to bookmark this post so you can pull it up anytime you need a good laugh.

I can't decide which I like more...Logan's giggles in anticipation of what Evan is going to do or the laughter that begins around 52 seconds.

Enjoy the entertainment from these silly, silly boys!!

Post Beach Vacation Blues

We've been trying to beat the post-beach vacation blues this week.  We are missing the beach and missing our friends.  It's been a hot week so we've been enjoying some time in the pool and playing with water!  The boys have been bickering quite a bit, especially when compared to last week but here are a few moments when they were just having fun being silly!

One Last Beach Day

We had such a great week at the Cape that we didn't want it to end...so we made sure it didn't...At least for today!  We spent one last day at the beach.  We started with a stop at Allie's Donuts on the way to meet Nicole at Roger Wheeler state beach aka Sand Hill Cove.  We got a bit of a late start and she was there early so we missed her which was just as well because by the time we got there, the lot was closed.  We doubled back to Scarborough and had a great afternoon at the beach.  Evan had a bit of an incident with the waves and got knocked under and lost his sunglasses but he was fine.  After the beach, we picked up chowder and clamcakes for dinner and brought them to Papa & Gramma's.  We ate poolside and then enjoyed a bit of a firework show from their family room before heading home.  What a great way to end a wonderful vacation!!

Cape Week!

When you are on vacation, living in a house with 9 people including 4 boys ages 4 and under, things can go horribly wrong if people aren't getting along.  Thankfully for us, this was not the case!!  We had a wonderful week in East Dennis with Mark, Laura, Henry, Charlie and Nicole.  We couldn't have asked for better weather or for the boys to get along better.  It was a wonderful week at the 'cation home (as Logan called it)!  It was great having Adria, Avi and Lilly so close too and being able to spend lots of low-key but important and fun time together.  Wanna do it again next year, ladies??



Logan playing T-ball with a little help from Charlie


Evan and Charlie super-swinging

Ahoy, Matey!

When we knew we were going to be spending the week on the Cape, we asked our Cape expert friend, Jenna, for suggestions of things to do with the kids.  We knew we wanted to just mostly spend the week on the beach but everyone, even this beach bum, needs a break from the sun once in a while.  Jenna recommended the Cape Cod Pirate Adventures boat trip which sounded like the perfect thing for four little pirate loving boys!  

We booked a trip on the boat and headed to Hyannis for the day.  It worked out perfectly because it wasn't much of a beach day to start the day anyway.  Upon arrival, the boys were outfitted like pirates complete with vests, beads, and pirate tattoos. They were each given a pirate name as well...Hilarious Henry, Enthusiastic Evan, Captain Charlie, and Lagoon Logan.  The boys all signed their names to a flag that would later be hoisted up the mast of the Sea Gypsy.  

Once we set sail, the fun began.  The crew of the Sea Gypsy had the kids entertained the entire way as they pieced together the treasure map, hunted for treasure and defended the Sea Gypsy from other pirates.  Evan's favorite part was "All hands on deck, To the lookout bench"  when looking for pirates and Logan's favorite part was "Heave! Ho(ve)! Heave!  Ho(ve)!" while hoisting the flags and sails.  Such a fun event for four little pirates!

Pool Time with the O'Shea's

After 4 straight beach days, we needed a little change of pace.  We took this opportunity to visit the O'Shea's, who happened to be in Mashpee this week as well.  We went to their house for lunch, pool time and lots of fun!  They boys had a great time with the O'Shea kids.  Evan especially loved playing hide and seek with Zoe, who was like a little mom to Evan while we were there.  He even said that his favorite part of the day was getting hugs from Zoe before we left.  So cute!  Thanks for hosting us, O'Shea/Gabrielian family!  It was great to see you all!

Beach Time!

We started our Cape week vacation with 4 straight days at 3 different beaches.  Days 1 and 2 were at Sea Street beach, day 3 was at Cold Storage Beach and day 4 was at the beach in Brewster, just across from the house that Adria and Avi rented.  Each day we would load up the car with gear and kids, drive the 1/2 mile to the beach, unload everyone but the driver and go get set up on the beach while the driver would return the car to the house.  It was a great set up.  The only thing better would have been if we were directly on the beach.  The boys had so much fun playing in the water, building sandcastles, and exploring each different beach.  My favorite was Cold Storage...by far!  It may have been all because of the extra time with the ladies in the afternoon while the guys were back at the house with the boys but I would go back there in a minute!


Stomping the castle

West End Creamery with HWG Friends

Today we met two of Evan's friends from Here We Grow at West End Creamery for a play date filled with jumping fun and ice cream.  I would have thought the kids would have jumped and jumped and jumped but they were just as (if not more) interested in playing in the sand.  They all enjoyed their afternoon treat of Del's and ice cream before a bit more jumping.  So nice to get together with some friends that we hadn't seen in a while...for the kids and the moms!!

Summer Time Fun!

We've been having a great summer so far!  Lots of water table and pool time at home with our new blow up pool from the family picnic.  Snacks and squeeze pops outside after squirt gun fights.  Pizza and movie nights.   Fun at the playground.  Lunch at Bentley's.  And even a trip to Jump In With Me...a new play place that we hadn't been to before.   It's been so much fun and it's only just begun!



Evan teaches Logan to whistle...Not bad considering Logan isn't even 2 yet!


We've got quite the little rock star on our hands...He's got the strumming, singing, and the stance down pat!

A Day with the Carlone's

Today we had a wonderful, water-filled day with the Carlone's!  Ben is home from Thailand visiting for a few weeks this summer and Kristen just arrived in RI from Minnesota last night.  It was a beautiful, warm summer day - perfect for water squirters, a couple of (freezing cold) dips in the pool and running through the sprinkler.  It's always a bit tough to completely catch up with little ones running around but we managed to do ok.  As always, it was wonderful to see all of the Carlone's!  As Evan said when we got in the car to come home, "That was a really fun party, Mom!"  Thanks for having us!!

Ray and Emily's Wedding

Most of my blog posts are all about the boys or adventures we have with the boys but we do still have a life that doesn't always include them.  Tonight we attended the wedding of two of our good friends, Ray and Emily.  The Roger Williams Botanical Garden was a beautiful setting for the marriage ceremony, complete with a Carl Sagan quote.  The relaxing reception at the Iron Works Tavern was just the right setting for everyone to mingle and chat with good friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in 4+ years.  It was such a great night to have everyone together to celebrate with Ray and Emily.  Congratulations to the bride and groom!!  May you have many, many happy, healthy years together!
And of course no wedding would be complete without The Barley Mow

WPI Touch Tomorrow

Today I took the boys to the Touch Tomorrow event at WPI.  It is a festival of science, technology and robots, on a beautiful campus and it is an awesome event for children of any age.  Plus it's free!!  Pretty much a no brainer as far as I'm concerned!  Evan and especially Logan are a bit on the young side for many of the activities and still require quite a bit of help for most things but there was plenty for them to do and try.  They had fun driving a Mars Rover simulator, playing catch with a robot, watching Curious George build a tower of cups, learning about the screech owl and red-tailed hawk, making a volcano erupt, and making slime, among other things.  It was a great day for the event too...mostly cloudy and overcast but not too hot and the rain held off.  This is certainly a great way to get kids excited about science and technology.  Definitely an event that we will be attending in the years to come!



Getting run over by a robot


Driving a robot


Erupting a volcano (sideways...oops!) Despite not looking excited about it, he was!

Music Monkeys!

Now that Evan is out of school for the summer, he has been joining us at music class.  The last two weeks were beach music, one of Evan's favorites from last year.  Logan has really been coming out of his shell more and more and acting like the little monkey that he always is at home.  These boys...so silly!!



Here is the link to the video from last year...la, la, la, la...

Point and shoot

We have a point and shoot camera that generally just sits on my dresser these days.  Evan uses it if he wants to take pictures and I used to take it along on "outings" and play dates with me before I had my MotoX.  Now that my cell phone takes such great photos, the little lumix mainly collects dust...Except for at night when I check on the boys.  The are just so sweet and precious when they are asleep.  I wish I could pause time and have them stay so sweet and innocent forever!  But I can't so instead, I try to capture this sweet innocence on camera.  The photos on the camera never quite do it justice but the photos in my mind will never forget!

Grandpa Bob Visits

Omi has been spending lots of time in Montana with the Smucker's and helping with Ellamae so Grandpa Bob came to see us for a few days.  He walked with Daddy on the campaign trail for two days and spent lots of great quality time with the boys.  The boys loved having him here and keep him going from morning 'til night everyday!  Some of the highlights of the quick visit were having a campfire and s'smores, making Grandpa's world famous blueberry pancakes, and playing in the new pool for the first time.  Thanks for coming to visit, Grandpa!

Fun Fridays!

Today started out a little bit cool but it was perfect weather for a bike ride and walk so we grabbed some sweatshirts and headed to the bike path.  Each time we go, Evan is better and better at balancing on his balance bike.  He'll be ready for a 2-wheeled pedal bike in no time.  We found a couple of caterpillar friends, picked some flowers and enjoyed the beautiful day.  After a good ride with lots of snacks and a quick nap for Logan, we went to West End Creamery for ice cream and Del's.  Looking forward to a fun filled summer!

School's out for summa'

It's hard to believe that Evan's first year of preschool at Here We Grow has already come to an end! Even as long and as cold as this winter was, it seems like just yesterday that we were dropping him off for the first time, crying as we left him.  Evan has learned so much this year and grown up quite a bit as well.  When I asked him what his favorite thing about school was this year, his response was "playing with my friends!"  I am so glad to hear this because that is the main reason that we wanted him to attend preschool.  Could I have taught him most of what he learned this year?  Sure!  But could he have gained independence and confidence learning how to interact with his peers being home with me?  Nope.  Such a great first year experience thanks to Mrs. Coyne and Mrs. Corey.  Evan is already asking about next year!  I hope he never looses that desire for learning!  Such a great performance by an adorable group of children!



The Hello Song


Humpty Dumpty


Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star


The Peanut Song


The Ants Go Marching


The Itsy Bitsy Spider


If You're Happy and You Know It


The Goodbye Song


Sprinkler Fun

Logan Photo Shoot

This morning I dropped Evan off for his first last day of school then had some time to kill before returning for the end of the year program for the parents.  After running a few quick errands, we had time for a quick photo shoot with Logan.  My handsome little ham!  Always so playful!

Weekend in RI = Fun with Cousins!

The boys and I spent a few days in RI at Papa & Gramma's and Uncle Dan & Auntie Karin's houses which means there was a lot of cousin time!  We enjoyed beautiful weather and had so much fun!  We are so blessed to have family who are always there when we need them!  Love you all!

Kavanagh Family Picnic

If you are a dedicated reader, you know that the first Sunday in June means the Kavanagh Family Picnic!  A beautiful day to get everyone together and celebrate what is really important in life...good...no GREAT family!  The boys each won something from the penny social - thanks to Papa for buying the tickets - and then had a great time with the field races.  Thank you to all those who work to make it such a success!!

May Monkeys!

Many moments from my May Monkeys!



Evan does some tricks on his balance bike - "Did you see that?  Pretty impressive."


Water balloons


Evan's whistling is getting better and better everyday

Memorial Day Weekend

Today we attended a small Memorial Day remembrance ceremony and parade in Millbury.  We wanted to do something as a family to give the boys a little idea of what Memorial Day is all about.  No, its' not just the unofficial kick off of summer, filled with beach parties and BBQ's.  It was a small parade but the ceremonies were nice, one at the WWII memorial at town hall and one in Central Cemetery.
In the afternoon, we went to Chelo's Waterfront to hear Sweet Tooth and the Sugar Babies.  We met Gramma & Papa, Jen & Mike and Nicole.  It wasn't a spectacular day weather wise but we still had a great time singing and dancing with friends and family!

Fourth Birthday Party for my Little Sport

When I asked Evan what type of birthday party he wanted, I thought for sure that he would say superheros.  Much to my surprise, he didn't!  He instead wanted to have a sports party.  Not a baseball, basketball or soccer party but ALL sports.  He was quite insistent on that.  So today we had a party to celebrate his 4th birthday with friends and family and played sports...You name it, we played it...Soccer, baseball, golf, ladder golf, cornhole, biking, ring toss, jai lai, paddle ball, lacrosse, and football!  What a great day for our little sport!  Happy birthday, Evan!

Evan had some fun after his guests had gone home

Stowe Farm

Today Evan's preschool had a field trip to Stowe Farm.  It is right here in Millbury and yet we have never been.  The weather looked a bit iffy but the rain held off and the kids had a great time.  There were horses, goats, pigs, chickens, a bounce house, a playground, among other things.  The kids all planted their own seeds in cups to bring home; Evan chose a sunflower.  I hate that I wasn't able to attend because I was with Logan and siblings weren't allowed.  I'll have to remember to see about getting someone to stay with Logan next year so that I can go on a field trip with Evan.

Happy Mother's Day!

We've had a couple of crazy weeks with Bruce resuming his campaign so it was nice to have a relatively quiet, relaxing day, just the four of us today for Mother's day.  It started with french toast and bacon (and bloody mary's for me!) made by Evan and Bruce.  Not quite as fancy as the omelettes we have had in years past but I could taste a little extra "love" from Evan's helping hands.  After breakfast, the boys played outside for a while and then we went to lunch.  We wanted somewhere to eat outside and enjoy this beautiful day and we ended up at Vintage Grill on Shrewsbury Street.  A great lunch on an absolutely gorgeous day!  After lunch, we went to Home Depot to pick up some plants for the yard.
Logan fell asleep in the car on the way home so I brought him in, changed his diaper and put him down to nap around 4 pm.  We didn't see him again (aside from me checking on him before I went to bed) until 6:30 the next morning.  I guess my little guy was tired!!
Bruce and Evan spent the early part of the evening working in the yard while I relaxed a bit and then worked on some music for boot camp.  A very special "nothing special" kind of mother's day!

Naked Belly Dance Party

Evan requested to have a dance party tonight, then for some reason Logan started taking his shirt off...The result...A naked belly dance party.  Only the boys participated!

These two have the moves like Jagger

 Taking a break from dancing.  Seriously, kid, you need to learn to relax a little!

Evan's 4th Birthday Letter

Dear Evan,
Happy fourth birthday, my sweet boy!  With each year that passes, I am more and more amazed by you.  You are wise beyond your years, sweet and caring like no other and so, so smart.  You continue to grow and learn with each new day.  In just a few short weeks, you will be completing your first year of pre-school.  You learned so much this year and made your first friends that are truly your own.  It was a wonderful experience for you and also for Dad and I to watch you grow.
As we celebrate your fourth birthday, things are a bit stressful and uncertain at home.  I am seeing first hand just how this is affecting you and I am sorry for that.  I wish I could shelter you from the stress filled situations and arguing that you have heard but please know that Dad and I both love you more than you will ever know and will do what is best for you always.  We are both trying to do our best to give you everything you deserve!
While you are growing up quickly, part of you remains young at heart, perfectly content to watch Curious George or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV, even though Wild Kratts is a bit more your speed these days.  You are still my little guy who loves to read all sorts of books and snuggle before nap time (if you actually take one) or bedtime.  Superheros are super cool, especially Spiderman and Batman but you still enjoy Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  You are getting better and better at riding your balance bike and I have no doubt you will be hitting homeruns off of your new baseball tee in no time.
Your fierce independence amazes me.  You are confident and capable of doing most anything you set your mind to.  You get easily frustrated at times when things don't go your way but we are working with you to stay calm and when you do, you are able to accomplish awesome things.  Your emotions get the best of you sometimes but mine do too.  I promise to do my best to remain steady and collected in order that you may learn by my example.  
I can not wait to see the growth that this year will bring for you.  That big brain of yours is a sponge and I hope it never stops soaking up "life"!  I have no doubt that you will have another amazing year at pre-school and will likely be reading before your next birthday.  My wish for you is that you never loose your zest for life and that you always remain caring and empathetic.  You are a special gift to all who know you and I am so proud to call you my son.
I love you, buddy!
Love always,
Mom.

My little birthday buddy!

Happy 4th Birthday, Evan!

Four years old?!?!  What?!?!  Already!?!?! Yup, it's true.  Today we celebrated Evan's fourth birthday!  It was a beautiful day.  The perfect day to play outside with his new baseball tee.  He opened his gifts from us in the morning and was truly excited about EVERYTHING...even the clothes!  After playing with his new "big boy Legos, just like Danny" for a while, we headed outside to try out his new baseball tee.  I have been wanting to get him one for a while now and it is just the perfect size for him.  With every swing, Evan kept saying, "Step and swing".  After a little bit, we packed up, stopped at the Queen's cups to pick up some birthday cupcakes and then went to RI to meet Gramma and Papa for lunch at Evan''s favorite place, the 99!  After lunch, we went back to their house to play so that Evan could show them his new gifts.  We had fun playing other games too.  Evan kept saying "This birthday is awesome!" so much so that by the end of the night Logan was saying "Awesome, awesome!"  Happy birthday, big guy!  We all love you so much!

HWG Birthday Celebration

Today Evan celebrated his birthday with his friends at Here We Grow Preschool.  It is so nice to see how far he has come this year and how much he has learned.  I love that he has made his first friends, well ones that aren't his cousins or children of our friends.  He was prince for the day and brought in a special snack of trail mix "but this time with fruit loops!" to share with his friends.  Hard to believe that my little guy will be 4 tomorrow!  I love to watch him grow and learn but also wish I could slow things down.  Can't wait to see what the next year will bring!

April Activities

Lots of fun random April activities...Enjoy the collection!



Yes, we gave our kids pop rocks before bed...Parents of the year!


Dancing while crafting

Nice to meet you, Jonah!

Today we had the pleasure of meeting sweet Annalia's little brother, Jonah.  He is only three and a half weeks old and so tiny!  Well especially when compared to my 9 lb 8 oz and 10 lb 2 oz mooses!  Emily and I had a great day, catching up on so much while Evan, Lia and Logan played together.  Jonah might not be sleeping too much during the night for Em and Jason but he sure was sweet and snuggly today.  Looking forward to more play dates when there will be four little ones running around with Annalia keeping the three boys in line!

Welcome home, Papa & Gramma!

This is always one of our favorite days of the year...the day Gramma and Papa come home from Florida!!  They arrived home last night around 5 pm and today we showed up around noon.  What??  We gave them 12+ hours before invading!  In all honesty, we would have been there sooner except that Evan had a dentist appointment.  We love that they go to Florida to escape the cold, snowy winter (and that we get to go too!) but we love even more when they are just a quick drive away!  We had a nice afternoon with them and stayed for dinner at Chelo's with Uncle Dan, Auntie Karin, Danny and Sean.  Great to have everyone back together again!

Reuniting with an old friend

With Evan being on vacation from school this week, he had a chance to join Logan and I at Gymboree today.  We attended music class with Miss Suzanne and then stayed for play class too.  We have been to open play a few times but Evan had said that he wanted to be able to go to the classes again too.  Music class was small, only four boys, and the theme was marching music.  The boys had fun at both classes and Evan was happy to see Miss Suzanne and join us for music class again.
After class, we had a special school vacation lunch out at Friendly's.  At the end of lunch, after ice cream, the boys wanted balloons.  All the ones near the door were gone so we asked the manager if there were any more.  She returned with two balloons and we headed on our way.  While trying to get out the door, on this super windy day, with two little boys and a to-go box, the wind whipped the balloons right off the sticks.  I was left with two empty sticks and two heart broken boys.  I felt terrible but there was nothing I could do.  Lesson learned...balloons and windy days don't mix!  (This is actually the second time Evan's balloon from Friendly's was lost because of the wind.)



As I am posting this about 3 weeks after this actually took place, I have to tell another cute story about the balloons.  Logan falls asleep in the car quite often for about 10 minutes, especially when we pick Evan up from school.  Almost every time that he has woken up in the last few weeks, he looks at me and says "B'loon.  Blow 'way. Windy."  Poor little guy...I guess this was a bit more upsetting to him than I realized.

Kicking Off April Vacation

We kicked off April vacation with a play date with the Wheeler's.  With everyone's crazy, busy schedules, we don't get to see them as often as we'd like.  Evan was really excited to see Derek, Madelyn, and especially Dylan today!  He told me that he was "really excited to see Dylan because he's one of the guys in their family that I really like."  Too cute!  It's so nice to see the kids playing together and having fun.  It was a beautiful day so we met at Woolie World for a while then came back to our house for lunch and more playing outside.  By the end of the afternoon, everyone was exhausted and no doubt had good naps on the way home.  Thanks for a fun day, Wheeler's!

Were you the one who carried that box?

A retelling of a conversation between Evan and Uncle Glenn from Easter

Evan: Were you the one who carried that box?

Uncle Glenn: Which box?

Evan: That box of candy

Uncle Glenn: Oh you mean the robin's eggs...yes

Evan: No, no, not the robin's eggs.  The other box, of candy, the big box, on the table out there

Uncle Glenn: Oh, yeah, I put them on the table

Evan: Oh, ok

(Long pause)

Uncle Glenn: Did you want something?

Evan: No, I was just wondering if you were the one who carried that box

Uncle Glenn (to me): This is the way my wife asks questions too

Uncle Glenn (to Evan): Did you want to see what is in the box?

Evan: Oh, ok, yeah, sure!

Evan then proceeded out to the living room with Uncle Glenn and helped him open and eat some of the Whitman's Sampler that Evan saw Uncle Glenn place on the coffee table shortly after arriving at their house for Easter dinner.  He waited patiently all day for this conversation and it was adorable!

Happy Easter!

Easter traditions have always been a bit varied from year to year in my memories.  The Easter bunny always came but some years we were on vacation, some years we would go to my Great Aunt Bet and Uncle Joe's for a big family egg hunt and dinner, and some years our day was a bit more low key.
We, unintentionally, have started a similar non-traditional tradition.  The Easter bunny comes and brings small gifts and a bit of candy.  Nothing crazy.  This year the Easter bunny "hid" some candy filled eggs for the boys to find in addition to the gifts and candy that he left in their Easter buckets.  It was a fun way to start the day!
After our egg hunt and breakfast, we went to RI to spend the afternoon with the Dowdings.  It was great to see Uncle Glenn and Aunt Chris's new house.  It's an adorable house in a really cute neighborhood, great for running!  We had a delicious meal and then enjoyed watching the 6 little ones play together.

Ending the night with a little Karate

Ah-Side

From the moment Logan wakes up in the morning until the moment he goes to bed at night, he would be "ah-side" if we let him.  We have been spending quite a bit of time "ah-side" since returning from Florida, both working and playing.  If you mention going somewhere or get a coat or shoes, Logan immediately says "shoe on, shoe on, coat on?".  And heaven forbid you run outside for one quick minute without him...he gets so upset.
The other day after waking up from his nap, still groggy, he saw Daddy and Evan outside.  Daddy was using the rake that I had given to Logan earlier in the day when the boys were helping me with some yard work.  Logan looked outside, looked back and me and said, very seriously, "Daddy.  Shobel. Mine!"  I guess Daddy isn't allowed to use Logan's shobel (aka rake).

Getting Ready for Easter

We've been doing a few Easter themed activities in anticipation of the Easter Bunny visiting...things we haven't done in the past.  Participating in the Easter Egg hunt at the Millbury Youth Camp, dying eggs, and Easter crafts.  The egg hunt was short and fun for the boys and the weather was just perfect!  We enjoyed most of the day outside afterwards...spring is coming!  From the smiles on the boys, I think it's safe to say that they have enjoyed it all!




Gliding down the racetrack

Annual Auction Babysitting

It's that time of year again...a Saturday in mid to late April means annual Boys and Girls Club Auction babysitting.  It was a beautiful day so we spent as much time as possible outside riding bikes and swinging.  After dinner, the boys played in the playroom and then all sat down to wind down and watch TV.  Some year I think it would be fun to attend the auction but then we'd have to give this up...I'm not quite ready for that yet!  I know I've said it before but these boys have a very special bond and it's wonderful to see them all together!  Love them all!

Play Date with Connor

Today we had a really fun play date with Amelia and Connor (and Abby too for a little while when she came home from school).  I can't tell you the last time we had a play date with them but I know it was too long ago.  The boys didn't seem to miss a beat though and played together quite well after taking a few minutes to wake up from the car ride.  They played outside (big wheels and swings); they played inside (super heroes and tea party); they even played alone so that Amelia and I could chat a bit...what a treat!  So nice to have great friends!

Out and About in Fort Myers

This trip to Fort Myers was like most others.  As much time in the sun and by the pool as we could get with some other outings and events mixed in for fun with the boys, meals out and our annual visit with Jon and Allie.  (Next year we have to do a better job of getting photos of the boys with both Jon and Allie!)  This year we also went to the beach with Papa & Gramma and took the boys to Zoomers.  Logan was a bit young for most things but Evan loved it!  (As I am posting this in July...better late than never...Evan has already mentioned going to Zoomers again next year a few times.)  I took the boys to Lakes Park, Bruce took Evan to pirate mini golf and Bruce and I caught the last home Red Sox spring training game of the year.  Lots of activity packed into one vacation...Good thing Papa & Gramma don't mind that we were there for more than a week!!



Video of a sea slug moving in the water, no purple dye though...unfortunately


Evan enjoying some time in the water with Daddy


Logan making some music and dancing at Lakes Park


Dancing at the Big Game.  These two stole the show!

Hanging Around the Lake House

Another trip to see Papa and Gramma in Fort Myers and another wonderful vacation making precious memories.  The weather wasn't as good this time as it often is at this time of the year but it was still better than it was at home in MA.  We had lots of fun just hanging around the lake house, exploring the yard and the lake and swimming in the pool.  It's nice that these boys don't need to have super exciting adventures everyday in order to have fun.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves.



Papa tickles Logan - This silly little boy just kept coming back for more


A special performance by Evan and George - What a goofball!


Wee O - One day after getting out of the pool, Logan just started saying "Wee O, Wee O" over and over.  I missed the really cute part but here is a taste of it.

Ulrich Visit

This weekend we hosted a small get together for the TKE guys.  Chuck and Clare were visiting and staying with us for the night so we took advantage of the opportunity to get everyone together, which unfortunately doesn't happen very often these days!  It was great catching up with everyone and watching the kids play.  Too bad we can't do it more often!  Such is life.

March Madness

A few photos from March that didn't fit anywhere else.  Always so much fun with these boys!

No Music and All Play Today, Little Dude

We went to music class today to find that we were the only ones there for music due to the somewhat unexpected snow.  So instead of music, we joined the play class.  This was Logan's first organized play class and he had a great time.  Lots of children his age with lots of room to run, jump, climb and play.  Ms. Suzanne even put on some of the Irish/Celtic music that we should have listened to in music class.  His favorite part was popping the bubbles!

Comfy, Logan?

Are you comfy, Logan?

Relax a little, would ya, kid?

Spring Snow Play

Today was the best of both worlds for a kid...warm enough to play outside for a long time but still plenty of snow to play in.  We had the shovels and buckets out; we had chalk, bubbles and bikes out.  It was beautiful!  The boys stayed mostly dry in regular pants and rain boots and it was warm enough not to need heavy winter jackets.  Let's hope there are more of these days in our near future!



Evan was singing a cute little song about shoveling just before I took this video.  Unfortunately, he mostly stopped when I started recording.

Lead the Way Jake!

Our two little performers...costumes, singing and dancing...Love them!!

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Chuck E Cheese

Today we celebrated Danny's 7th and Sean's 4th birthdays at Chuck E Cheese with 30 of their friends.  It was our first Chuck E Cheese experience with the boys and while it was a bit of sensory overload from all the lights, noises, games, music, etc, we all had a great time.  Logan was happy to just sit on quite a few of the rides and even played a few games.  Evan tried out most of the games and liked the pirate one the best (so did Daddy!).  The birthday boys were running around all afternoon, having fun with their friends and cousins.  I don't think I even saw Sean until we had been there for at least 20 minutes!    After the party, we went back to Danny and Sean's house to watch them open their gifts.  It looked like Christmas all over again...lucky boys!  A fun day celebrating two very special little guys who are getting big really fast!  (Unfortunately, I didn't get a ton of photos of everyone but there are a few sprinkled in there.)

Early Spring in Boston

Spring is on it's way...At least according to the calendar!  And today it actually felt like it!  We spent much of the day outside in Boston with many others who are ready for spring to hurry up and get here.  We started at Thornton's for breakfast where we met Daddy's cousin Matt who was up from Philly for the weekend.  We hadn't seen him in 12 years and it was good to catch up for at least a little bit while he was visiting.  After breakfast, the boys ran around the Christian Science Plaza while we figured out what else we would do for the day.  We decided to keep it low key as it was already getting a bit late in the day.  We found a playground at Titus Sparrow Park where the boys had fun for quite a while.  We then headed to Harvard Square to visit the World's Only Curious George Store, which is really just a book store with a few unique George things, and then had lunch before heading home.  We spent a beautiful day in the city...something we certainly need to do more often!

Say Cheese!

Evan had his first school picture day today.  If you have been following our boys via Facebook you know that he decided to cut his own hair on Tuesday afternoon, less than 48 hours before picture day!  Here is the back story to that haircut.  Evan was supposed to be napping on Tuesday afternoon while I was in the basement getting a few things done on the computer.  I heard him upstairs playing, I heard the toilet flush and then it was quiet.  I figured he wasn't quite ready to nap, needed to use the bathroom and then settled down to sleep.  Boy, was I wrong!!  After using the bathroom and needing a new pull-up, Evan (using his step stool and potentially something else) got the hair cutting scissors down from the high shelf in the closet in the bathroom.  He "needed" them in order to open the new package of pull-ups, even though there were still pull-ups in the drawer in his closet (which I guess he didn't know were there).  After attempting to open the package, he proceeded to cut every piece of paper in his room that he could find and also his hair!  Now, keep in mind that we had cut his hair about 2 weeks ago in anticipation of picture day so that it wouldn't look "just cut".  He cut it so short in some places that in order to fix it we needed to do a super short buzz cut.  Good thing he is a boy and that we generally like it short.  All in all, no real harm done and his school pictures turned out adorable!

Everything Old is New Again

We've been doing a few old things that we haven't done in a while again lately...Gymboree open play for both Evan and Logan (the last time we went, Logan wasn't even crawling yet!), making meatballs from Evan's first High Five magazine last May, story & craft time at the Millbury Public Library (I don't think we'd been since August)...and the boys have been having lots of fun!

Red Sox Bat Boy

Logan gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Red Sox Bat Boy".  

A better shot of the front of his costume

Not the best capture on video but I still like his strut at the beginning and his disrobing at the end
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Hanging around the house

This post was drafted for February 23rd but I am finally getting around to writing it on August 18th...Almost 6 months later!  I often "draft" a post to remind myself to go back and write about something that happened at a later date.  For a post with this type of title, I often even leave myself notes about what photos, events or videos I want to include in case I don't get to it right away.  Did I do that this time?  Nope!  And do you think that I remember 6 months later??  Not a chance!  It's been a crazy 6 months - busy, stressful, fun, exciting, nerve-wracking - You name it, we've felt it!  So given that I am so far behind and haven't the slightest idea what this was supposed to be about, I will leave you with this...



Tiki Tree Limbo

Logan's 18 month stats

Logan went to the pediatrician for his 18 month well visit today.  He has changed so much over the last few months...walking then running and talking more and more everyday.  He is running around so much that he hasn't gained any weight!  He's still just over 25 pounds in the 37th percentile which is funny seeing as he started out in the 90+ percentile.  He grew almost 2 inches since November and is 34.5 inches tall (94th percentile).  His HC is about 50 cm (95th percentile).  I guess this explains why he fit into 18 month clothes for so long!  I don't have Evan's 18 month stats but I will have to get them to do another comparison because up until now they are pretty much growing at the exact same rate!  No shots today because Logan was sick earlier in the week which is probably a good thing because he cried through his entire exam.  Poor little guy still isn't quite himself but he still continues to impress Dr. Gonroff, especially with his ever growing vocabulary.  Hard to believe that his next appointment will be his two year check up!

Cute, little, not-so-scary ghost!

Four little boys

We spent the better part of this past weekend with four little boys: Danny, Sean, Evan and Logan.  Just before Christmas, I read an article about giving kids experiences instead of gifts.  I think it is a great idea and decided it would be fun to have Danny and Sean come sleepover at our house (without Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin so they could have a little couples time).  Well this was the weekend.
We picked them up at 10 am on Saturday, brought them back to Millbury, went to Applebee's for lunch and then the older boys (everyone except Logan) went to see the Lego movie.  When they got back we started on some projects...Danny's favorite thing.  We made Olympic medals and started Olympic ring glasses (thanks for the idea, Kodi).  After dinner, the boys played for a while and then settled down watching Phineas and Ferb before heading to bed.  We put them to bed (Evan, Sean and Danny all in Evan's room) at 8:33 and they were quiet by about 9:15.
Sunday got started a bit earlier than we are used to as the three older boys were up at 6:30.  Uncle Bruce made homemade waffles for breakfast and then got busy moving snow and building a snow fort/igloo.  The boys played nicely together with Danny and Evan doing more projects/coloring on and off all morning and Logan and Sean spending lots of time together.  After lunch the boys went out to play in the snow fort and go sledding.  It was such a fun weekend for everyone, especially the boys.  Logan loved playing with the big kids and trying to keep up.  We should definitely do this more often!  In fact, Friday night Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin are going to return the favor so that Bruce and I get a night off.  These boys are so lucky to have each other!