Dad and His Boy

Proper Spaghetti Technique

You'll notice I didn't take a picture of his sister shoveling spaghetti into her mouth by the fistful.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Sure, the kids are only 1/8th Irish, but we're not gonna let that stop us!

The whole posse.

What, doesn't every St. Patrick's Parade start with the Headless Horseman?  I love this town.

Aunt Bess and Baby Betty.

It may have been a touch cold.

How many licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop?  The world may never know.

Look!  All four (five!) of us in one picture!

Birthday Round Up

Just finally getting around to posting some pictures from Gabe's little birthday party. 

Barnyard Cousins!

All the girls, in descending age.  On a related note, Gabe needs some boy friends.  And oh my god....Ellie is insane for cheese puffs.

Stick the skull on the dinosaur fossil!

Better luck next year?

Happy Birthday, Gabey!

...snakes...shiver...

Our little friend Penn had his birthday party this past weekend at the Greenburgh Nature Center.  Thanks to his mom for sending this picture of the kids getting much closer to a snake than I would want to.

Bunk Beds

Look who's super excited about her new bedroom furniture! We scored a whole Pottery Barn bedroom set off Craigslist a few weeks ago, and Todd and Brian put it all together this weekend.  Now we just need to paint and hang some pictures on the wall.  It finally doesn't look like Ellie and Gabe sleep in a 19th century flophouse!

Of course, with order in one room, comes complete chaos in another.  The soon-to-be nursery is making me break out into hives.  We've got a long way to go...

Picky Picky Picky

Despite Brian's best efforts, Eleanor still won't eat french fries.  That's okay.  More for us.

Cakes

I did make the dinosaur cake, but at the last minute Gabe insisted he wanted to blow out his candles on the purple cake.  There's no arguing with the birthday boy.

Roar!  Thanks, Pinterest!  

Happy Birthday, Gabe

Dear Gabe,  

Today you turn three.  How is that even possible?  I woke up early and came downstairs to sip some coffee before the madness starts.  You're going to help me make your cake in a couple of hours.  A dinosaur cake, as you insist.  It's going to be messy, and you're going to want to stir the batter for hours.  That, and ask if you can lick the bowl every 10 seconds.  Your sense of time could use some work.

You're a joy and a terror, as only a three-year-old can be.  You frequently tell me you love me, but just as often imperiously tell me you're not going to play with me anymore.  You love your sister and will obligingly pretend to be her kitty whenever she asks, meowing and crawling around the house driving the real cat mad.  This year is going to rock your world as you learn how to be a big brother, and I know you're not going to love every minute of it.  But I'll love you enough to make up the difference.