It's Puzzle Time!

Lately, Kira has had an obsession...she loves puzzles. She'll spend an hour or so just putting one together, take it apart...put it back together, take it apart...you get the picture. She's gotten quite skilled at them, and is amazing us with her ability to do more and more challenging ones...24 piece ones no longer phase her...and she's been working hard on the 48 piece one we just got her!

Snow Day

Ok, so this should have been written a week ago...

Last Sunday, we decided it was time to bundle the kids up and let them play in the snow. Kira LOVED it...she had a look of pure happiness and excitement on her face the whole time we were out there. Max, not so much. He was not pleased to be put down in the snow in a snowsuit he couldn't move about freely in. Us? Well, we decided it took more time to get the kids ready to go out and undressed when we came back in than we actually spent outside, but we did love watching their reactions to the snow!

Laundry and Lysol - How our family spent inauguration week

Monday started out a typical day...Kira was a little crabby, but no other signs were showing of the trouble that was brewing...until around 10:30 when she came running up to me with that cry. That one that says..."Mommy, something doesn't feel right, but I don't know what" Luckily, or unluckily for me, I recognized the cry, and got her to the sink just in time for her to hurl all over it...and me and her. Well, the hurling continued all day...for a couple hours it was every 10 minutes. I felt terrible, not being able to make it stop...or take the pain away for her. Eventually, we tried some fluids...they came back up...little while later, we tried some more...it looked like it was going well, until an hour into it...they all came back up. So, on our Pedi's office's advice, we took her in to the ER. Three hours and a popsicle later, we were on our way home. Kira slept well that night, and was doing better the next day, just one hurling session late in the day after some inappropriate post illness foods allowed to her by her mommy(in my defense, she was begging). Max and I watched our new president get sworn in...while Kira slept. I must have talked alot about it to her though, as at one point when she woke up that night, she said "Where's Obama??" I told her "He's in the White House, baby" and she went back to sleep, mumbling something about bicycles. Wednesday...I woke up and told Dave it felt a little chilly...he actually agreed for once! I went out to check the thermostat and it says it's 63! Heat's on...but blowing cold air. Long story short...our gas line froze, and was fixed before it got too cold in here. The big excitement of the day started around noon...when the vicious virus took it's second victim...me. Thankfully, Dave was here and able to step in to take care of the kids because I was worthless. Kira still wasn't herself that day...again only one hurling session..probably due to the ice cream filled popsicle I allowed her to have. Thursday comes, I'm feeling much better, things are getting back to normal around here...until late that night...the virus strikes AGAIN...this time it's taken Dave down. I spend Friday stripping all the beds, sanitizing toys and bathrooms...I will beat this virus, it will NOT take my Max! So far...between the cleaning and the breastfeeding, he's been fine. I won't breathe easy about it for a couple more days though. He was so good through all of us being sick, most of the time quietly playing on his own(with things his sister usually never lets him touch!), sleeping pretty well, and full of energy the rest of us wished we had! Hopefully, this week, things will be back to normal, we'll be back to our errands, play dates, and class...and we'll all stay healthy!! Of course, it'll probably also take all week to wean Kira off the popsicles...and get her to sleep in her bed again...
Some pics of the kids during the inauguration:

Thirty Six??

Today is my birthday. There's no way that I can be 36 already. When did that happen??? I had a nice birthday...starting out with cards and a gift from Dave and the kids. The kids and I then headed out into the freezing cold to take Kira to her class at the YMCA. She was SO excited to be there, I love seeing her so animated and happy! When we got home, flowers from Nicole, Nakia and Fred arrived...they're so beautiful! Later on, roses from Dave and the kids came...now it looks and smells so wonderful in here. The kids surprised me by taking a 2 1/2 hour nap at the same time!! What a nice little break in my day that was! A highlight of my day was Kira singing "Happy Birthday to Mommy, Happy Birthday to Mommy" several times to me today. I also got many nice cards and emails from various friends and family. Thanks everyone for a great day! Happy Birthday to me!! :)

Happy Birthday, Uncle Ghee!

Today is John's 39th Birthday! Happy Birthday, Buddy!

The week in review

We had a pretty typical winter week around here...spent most of it hibernating! Well, the kids and I did...Dave had to go to Ottawa for a couple of days. However, due to canceled flights, he got to leave later and come home earlier, when does that ever happen?? We did manage to get a bunch done around the house, got furniture moved back into post-holiday spots, rearranged some toys, got out some clothes for Max in the next size up...all very fun stuff. The kids enjoyed hanging out and playing, getting a ride in the laundry basket and rocking out to the radio with Mommy. We also made it out to visit with our friends Allison and Ethan in their beautiful new house! Yesterday, we took the kids to the movies! It was PBS kids...they showed an episode of Curious George, a couple episodes of Martha Speaks and a few random cartoons. The kids did great...though Max got bored at the very end, so Dave took him for a walk. Kira loved the "big, huge TV!" She got a little upset at the end, because she really wanted to watch it again. That's about it for the week, hopefully this one will be a little more exciting!!! Here's a few pictures from our week.

Talking to "Aunt 'Cole"

An amazing thing happened...Max fell asleep in his highchair!

Laundry Basket Rides!

Little Storyteller

Lately, Kira has been telling stories involving various toys...a few nights ago in the bathtub, this is the story she told using her rubber duckies...

Mama Duck: We are going to find some food!
Baby Ducks: Me too, me too, me three!
Mama Duck: C'mon, ride on my back!
(She puts all the little ducks on the back of the big one)
Kira: Duckies are floating on Mama!
(She grabs a blue duck...and adds it to the group)
Kira: Mommy and Daddy are floating!
Daddy Duck: My babies are back!
(Daddy duck then kisses each baby, complete with "M'wah! sounds for each kiss)
(The ducks all take turns sticking their heads in a bucket of water)
Kira: They're eating it, they like it, it's so good!

The End.

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration! Here's how our night went...

8:00pm Max is finally asleep
9:00pm Kira is finally asleep

At which point, Dave and I settle in for a festive evening of watching the Dexter disc we've had from Netflix for weeks...when...

10:45pm Kira comes stumbling out of the bedroom, doesn't want to be put back to bed, wants to be on the couch with us. Ok, off goes Dexter.

11:15pm Max, hearing his sisters voice, also decides it's time to be awake.

So, the four of us hang out on the couch...eating a little popcorn and watching the New Year's festivities on TV. At one point, Kira starts yelling "I don't like it, I don't like it!!!" during the Jonas Brothers performance(that's my girl!). We're all a little frightened by Dick Clark's appearance. A guy that old just shouldn't look like that.

12:00am We do the countdown...and yell Happy New Year! The kids look confused. Kira wants to see the ball drop...over and over again. Thank goodness for Tivo! :)

12:30am Kids are back in bed...a new year has begun.

Here's a couple of pictures from as we got closer to midnight...

Ten great things about 2008

10a. Celtics are World Champions!(That one's for Dave)

10b. My awesome new stroller that makes getting around with the kids SO much easier!

9. Dave still has a job.(And one where he gets to work from home, thus is able to spend a little more time with his family since his commute is a walk up the stairs!)

8. We elected a new President!

7. Listening to Kira sing, and Max saying Mama, Dada and Ooooooh(and all the other random babbling he does)!

6. Watching the kids both learn so many new things, and play together...even if it usually ends up with Kira sitting on top of Max, and us pulling her off of him!

5. All the fun things we did with the kids...Red Sox Games, Playhouse Disney Live, Kira's class at the YMCA, Playdates, Aquarium, Children's Museum, Science Museum, trips to the park...

4. Managing to not get pregnant again!

3. Spending time with friends and family.

2. Being married to Dave.

1. Well, the addition of Max to our family, of course!!! It's been so wonderful to watch him grow from a newborn into an almost toddler this year...and to watch Kira's transformation from only child into big sister. We love them so much...it's crazy!

I can't wait to see what 2009 brings!

New Year's Resolution

One of my resolutions is to finally start a blog, so here goes! Now, I'm going to need support in this endeavor, so feel free to comment away on my posts and pictures...and to nag me when I've been slacking off and haven't written anything in a while. As you can see by the title, this blog will mostly be about my favorite thing to talk about...my two amazing children, Kira and Max...and all their adventures!