Beach-Time

Last week, we got up early and spent the morning at the beach. It was great because it was still very over-cast but not cold and there was no one there(except for 100+ Junior Lifeguards doing their training. Um, that workout is no joke! I think I would have died half-way through it. These were kids ranging from 8-18 and it was pretty cool to see). Ben and Emily had a blast playing in the surf with Dan but Callie was a little disconcerted by the sad, cold water and instability the surf had to offer her. She much preferred playing in the sand, and later, exploring the walkway leading to the beach.

Callie's 2nd Birthday

I can't believe my bittiest baby is TWO. We had a day-long, family celebration for the little dolly which started off with a chocolate-chip pancake breakfast, some coloring and present opening. We took them to Happy Hollow where Callie proceeded to embarrass the holy hell out of us by screaming bloody-murder any time she had to wait in line for a ride or get off the ride after it was over. I tend to expect little and forgive much when it comes to toddlers and their outbursts but she was so over-the-top it was hard to grin and bear it! She had fun in between her fits of rage, though, which is all that matters. We had dinner followed by cake and ice cream at home and have many fun, funny pictures from our day=)

Emmie's Chuck E. Cheese Party

Emily's 4th Birthday

On the day of her actual birthday, Ms. Emmie had two big firsts. She had her first mani/pedi at a nail bar that featured small, pink kids seats and then she saw her first real movie in the theater! She had a really fun, low-key, special day and loved feeling like a big girl=)

Emily's School Party

Emily is our social butterfly and really looked forward to having a birthday party with alll her friends. The problem is that with all her school-mates, and other friends, including all siblings, we were looking at a party with 30+ kids and their adult entourage! That's simply way too much so we broke the guest list up. Her first party was at a nearby park with many of her school friends. We kept it low-key with cookie-cutter sandwiches, fruit salad, and cupcakes. I turned the sandbox into a treasure-hunt by dumping large plastic rhinestones and pretty glass rocks into it and it was a huge hit. I also drew a chalk road and set out little cars for kids to drive around it. The party was so much fun that many of our guests stayed at the park even after we cleaned up and went home;)

Random Favorites

My little point-and-shoot hasn't gotten much action lately, as it's usually easier to just whip out my iphone. Here are some disjointed, random pictures I've taken recently.