Giggles

Pushing the Cart...

You're doing it wrong.

Time to Smell the Daffodils

Sharing Cheerios

There are days, when it's 70 degrees and beautiful, and the kids are in good moods, and the birds are singing, and the sun is warming your frog-belly-white legs....that being a full-time mom feels a little like you're somehow cheating.  With apologies to everyone who has to spend this gorgeous day in an office...

Pin Up Girl

Ellie's been requesting sunglasses, and I finally gave in.

Tot Lot

Gabe, in his first official "Tot Lot" outing.

One of the bonuses of having kids so close in age is that they're both able to enjoy the same activities.  Sure, Elle's a little old for the tot lot, and I wouldn't take her there by herself, but she had a grand time crawling around after Gabe and showing him how the slide works.  And Gabey was just thrilled to climb up on the little play structure and try to hurl himself down the slide.  Again, and again, and again.

Spring!

Yay!  Spring!  We played in the dirt with Sara, Paul, and Baby Caroline to celebrate.

There were tough boys with big sticks...

Tough girls with even bigger sticks...

 And a baby who wants to be as tough as the big kids. (Check out those grubby knees!)

There were also tears when Ellie reached her "DIRTY!" limit.

All in all, a fantastic sun-soaked morning in the park.  

Everyone Loves a Parade

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We had such a fun day yesterday.  Lunch at Two Boots with Mike, Sari and the kids, followed by bagpipes and Irish dancers galore at the St. Patrick's Parade.  Then we hooked up with the McGowans and enjoyed the rest of the beautiful afternoon in the garden at Commonwealth.  Man, we're going to miss this neighborhood.

Big Boy

Gabe tried so hard to follow Ellie on the playground tower, and was so mad when he couldn't quite pull it off.

Open, Close. Open, Close.

Elle, concentrating on her new scissor skills at Art Class.

Explorer Monkey

Art Class

Elle and I recently discovered Toddler Art at the local Y.  Someone else comes up with the idea, lays out all the supplies, and cleans up.  This is my idea of art heaven.  And Elle's apparently.  It's a bit hard to manage with Gabe crawling around trying to eat glue sticks, but Elle is so excited about "Art Class!" that we just have to go.  Just look how proud she is!

On an related note, why can't I seem to take a proper picture lately?  This whole "moving and trying to buy a house" business has got me totally scattered and flustered.  And apparently affected my ability to focus.  In life as in pictures.

Happy Birthday, Gabe!

Gabe had a cupcake party on Saturday, and I took some really shoddy pictures.  Oh well...Happy Birthday, little man.

The "1" is for Gabe.  The "38" for our friend, Jay.

Elle tries to join the big kid conversation.

Bess and Baby Caroline, Paul's little sister.

Gabe, Leila, and Paul try their hand at farming.

Baby Jonah does his best superman impression.

Yum Yum Yum

I'm no expert, but I think the banana may have won.

Off Duty

Since Ellie's pushing Gabe on the swings now - does that means I can stand off to the side with a cigarette and the latest copy of Vogue?  It does, right?  I hear that's how they do it in France.