Berry Fun

 

In what's become a seasonal ritual for my friends and I, we traveled to Chester, NJ, to Alstede Farm to go berry picking early this week. This is the same farm we've been to for apples and pumpkins for the past couple of falls, and berries last summer, and it's a great spot that the kids love. As soon as we got to the berry patches, Eamon got busy "sampling" everything he picked, so we wound up with hardly a berry in the basket. (I was busy feeding Nora, so I was useless). Oh well, at least I got some great photos of Eamon, Owen, and Aiden (and Nora, too!).

Here's a link to all of the photos from the day:

Berry Picking

Nora's first barette!

 

Nora's little tuft of hair that runs down the center of her head is finally long enough for a little barette! I've been a big fan of headbands lately, but they're a little ridiculous (in an adorable baby kinda way) so these little bow clips are a nice, subtle statement for my girly girl! Of course I ran out and bought a pack of them...so now Nora will have a clip AND a headband to match every one of her many, many outfits.

Summer!

 
 
 

It's been a while! The days continue to fly by with no time to post pictures or write anything other than the words I'm paid to write, but I just wanted to share some pics of the past week. We had a great impromptu summer kickoff at my parents last week. Pool, ice cream, picnics, playground...E and N did it all and loved every second. More photos (and stories) to come, I hope! Happy Summer!

Happy Birthday, Diz!

Here's Eamon last night, sharing a special message for Diz (that's my mom, for anyone who doesn't know).

Dancing In the Streets!

Here's Eamon's extended version of the pee-pee dance. :-)

 
 

Helping me with the laundry...the clothes serve as a perfect cushion for any falls!

 

Someone's way too big for her bassinet!

Nora goes for a ride

Catching Up...

 

It's been a busy spring! As much as I'd love to sit down and blog about all of the comings and goings of our days, that task is usually replaced by other, more important things, like work and sleep (less of the latter and far more of the former!). To make up for lost time, here are plenty of pictures from the past few weeks. Lots of activity and lots of fun. So glad the warmer weather seems like it's here to stay.

Easter

 

We had a fabulous Easter! Went down to MD/VA for a lovely four-day stint. First, a couple of days with my parents (where Eamon and Nora met the Easter bunny at White Flint) then a couple more at the Flynn's. It was so nice to see everyone, run an 8K, eat some delicious food, and enjoy the HOT weather (perfect for an outdoor egg hunt). Of course, Eamon and Nora loved the attention from all our of family and friends. The hardest part (as always) was packing up and pointing the car north.

Unite 13.1 (well, make that 9.5)

 

A few weeks ago, we got together with Chuck, Kristen, and Mikaela in beautiful New Brunswick, NJ, for the Unite 13.1. Kristen and I decided we'd do it back before the babies were even born (or maybe they were newborn; can't remember--the past few months are all fuzzy), and suddenly race day had quickly approached. So we made an overnighter out of it, meeting up at a hotel on a very wet Saturday. On very little sleep (thanks to our night owl children), K and I woke up early on Sunday ready to race the half-marathon. Only the prior day's rain washed away almost 4 miles of the course and the 13.1 miles we were set to do got chopped down to 9.5. We both had decent races but decided we still needed to knock a half-marathon out sometime soon...that may happen at the end of the month.

Just Swinging

First attempt at rice cereal

Piggy, Piggy

I love my piggies!

New toy!

Nora has an exersaucer and LOVES it! I can plop her in there and she'll stay occupied for 30 minutes or so--playing with the do-dads around her or just watching Eamon from her perch. Got it for a steal from a local mom...best $35 I've ever spent!

Bro & Sis

Springing into Spring (and the Supermoon!)

Last week, we got a peek at spring...two days in the 60s and one reaching 74! We maximized our time outdoors and Eamon and Nora (and me, too!) loved every second. While I've enjoyed the winter for the most part, I will not miss the bitter cold (and all of the coughing, sneezing, and snot that seems to go hand-in-hand with the season). Although the temps dropped this week and winter stuck its tongue out at us with two morning snowfalls, those lovely warm days made me even more excited for the next two seasons.

Here are some shots from our time out in the park...Nora's first little ride in the swing and the amazing Supermoon that hung over the Manhattan skyline as though it was painted there.

Jack is TWO!

We celebrated Jack's birthday last Sunday with a yummy pizza dinner and, of course, CAKE! at Leezie and Speed's. The birthday boy was as happy as can be--as were his cousin and big brother who were more than happy to help Jack blow out the candle. As you can see, all three boys were sporting their green in honor of Jack's St. Paddy's Day birthday...even though we were celebrating a few days later. BTW, Leezie and I didn't plan that at all. What can I say--great minds (and sisters!) think alike!

Getting So Big!

What happened to my babies? On Friday, Eamon got his hair cut and emerged from the barber's chair looking like a five year old.

Later on that day, we went to the playground and he tried mightily to play tag with a bunch of five- and six-year-olds (he couldn't really keep up). When I saw him in the mix with the "older" kids, I did get a little emotional...all of a sudden, he transitioned from toddler to big boy.

Today, I registered him for preschool. He'll attend a program that goes five days a week, five hours a day. Glad to have the opportunity to send him to this program, but I know I'll have a hard time letting him go.

Nora, meanwhile, is changing and growing every day...she loves being on her stomach and checking out the world around her, as you can see in these pictures.