Mini Vacation "Up North"

Gabe is about to embark on a rough stretch in April so he, thankfully, was able to take some vacation time at the end of this month.  I finished up the temporary job I was covering, so we were free to spend a few days with family.  The kids really enjoyed coloring eggs with Grammy & Brady and riding on Grampy's tractor.  They also were able to check out all of Uncle Jon's animals and probably more exciting all of the snowmobiles.  We were able to have some work done on our car which is always an exciting plus to the trip;) Gabe will spend the rest of the week in San Antonio attending a conference, so wish me luck!

Noah Turns 5!!

It has been 5 years since we became parents for the first time. On one hand it feels like we have always had children, but on the other it feels like there is no way Noah could be 5 years old already!  He is a pretty cool kid... He is very into cars, planes, and any type of construction vehicle. He loves to help and play with his little brothers and tries to set a good example for James... he finds it so cool when he can teach James about things or how to do things. He loves to listen to books... he has memorized several books and can "read" them to his brothers... He has recently taken an interest in learning to read. We have found a wonderful series of books called "BOB Books" that have helped him to actually sound out and read words, which is so amazing to see. He is such a big helper around the house and actually gets excited about doing chores.

Noah had picked out a camping birthday party theme for James's 2nd birthday, but we decided that James didn't care about camping at that point, so we saved everything and used it for Noah's birthday. He was thrilled to have hot dogs, dirt cups and s'mores cooked over the campfire.  It was a bright sunny day, hot to be honest, and we loved being able to celebrate "camping" outside. We dug in the mud playdough for some insects, had a nature hunt and enjoyed some bubbles. Noah's favorite part was the cake that he insisted on having... I tried to convince him to choose a few others, but his mind was made up... he wanted the wigwam. His favorite gifts were his legos (which are extra special since his brother's can't use them) and a magic set which both Noah and James have had a blast taking turns learning and performing.

St. Patty's Day 2012

Gabe had to work on the Saturday of Noah's birthday weekend, but we were still able to enjoy the holiday;) We made green eggs for breakfast which the kids got a huge kick out of. Who knew it would be as easy as adding 2 drops of food coloring to the eggs. We took the kids to the Saint Patrick's Day Parade on Commercial Street, and tested out the four rider capacity of our fantastic stroller. They loved the music and dancing, but of course James's was scared that something loud was going to happen. The highlight of the day was this crane in the Old Port. I am quite sure Noah would have stood and watched it work all day. Noah was thrilled when one of the construction workers yelled down to him, "Hey Buddy"... so cool!

First Beach Weekend of 2012

This past weekend Gabe was home both days and it was BEAUTIFUL weather! We spent Saturday cleaning and Sunday outside all day. It was 40s/50s and windy, but the sun was warm... all 3 kids got sunburns on their cheeks.  We started with a walk on Scarborough Beach which was very serene and great for walking with the stroller at low tide... lots of room for running and playing.  We then rode to the Scarborough Marsh and walked along the marsh looking for birds and other animals.  We rode along the coast all the way to Kennebunkport, stopping along the way to play at a playground.  It was so nice to be able to enjoy the summer tourist spots without all of the tourists.  We had a very fun day and the kids were exhausted by the end!

In other news, I took Benjamin to his 6 mo check up today- he continues his climb above the growth chart... I guess someone has to be up there.  He weighed 23 lbs. 4 oz. and was 29.25 inches long. Both N & J were between 15 and 18 months when they were this size!

Winter Arrives

So this year we had winter before Halloween and now at the beginning of March with very little in between. This storm was pretty impressive in that it dropped a lot of snow, then became quite warm so it was perfect for snowmen. James's favorite part, however was filling his bowl and eating the snow.