SpiLLeD MiLk

Some of my favorite moments spent with the boys are the ones which would be missed if you were a brief visitor in our home. The heart warming interactions that occur between Jack and Grant, when they think nobody is watching. This morning during the early dash of trying to get Jack to pre-school on time, the boys sat at the table eating cereal while I was rushing to find Jack's left shoe. Grant knocked his cereal over and made a few sad noises while pointing with dismay at his cereal spilled on the floor. Jack looked at the cereal and simply said "It's OK G, don't cry, you can have some of mine", and slid his bowl over to share with his brother. Moments such as these definately remind us that there really is no need to cry over spilled milk when you are surrounded by those who love you.

Cat restraint 101.

It's probably difficult being a pet in the home of a vet, veterinary technician and two young boys who are aspiring vets themselves. Here's just a glimpse of a normal day in the life of "Squishy".

How's that for "teamwork"?

All things SWEET!

I always have enjoyed celebrating Valentine's Day and finding special treats for my favorite boys.




We all enjoyed dinner from Maggiano's! Our favorite dishes are the rigatoni D chicken mushroom marsala and the maggianos chopped salad.

Followed by a dessert of heart shaped lolli's....

And the boys surprised Mommy with a very special bauble in a little blue box!

A very SWEET day!

For the love of shopping....

We had one more person on our Valentine's Day shopping list, Jack's nursery school teacher Mrs. W. Jack was very excited to find her the perfect gift to show how much we appreciate all her hard work. Anyone who spends their days with six, active three year olds deserves a special treat!

Off we headed to our favorite local mall....

Jack thought she would like a watch so she would "know when it's time for a snack".

But Jack decided we should keep looking....

He found some perfume that he liked.

But Jack decided it just didn't "smell like Mrs.W".

We searched high....

And we seached low.....

Found a nice hat....

But no perfect gift for Mrs.W...and it was nearly nap time.

As Mommy was paying for the hat, Jack discovered the "perfect" gift for Mrs.W right on Mommy's keychain......and luckily we knew where to get another one just like it!

So, here's what Jack decided was the perfect Valentine's Day gift for Mrs.W, and it even has a heart on it. We hope she enjoys her surprise!

Think SPRING!

I recently became inspired by a friends decorating blog to make a few small changes around our home. I started with our living room mantle, because it's the one surface in our home that the boys have yet to figure out how to reach! I browsed Jessi's blog for some fabulous ideas, she always has a warm, yet simple style that I adore. http://www.yankeebellehome.blogspot.com/

And then went to my old stand-by, http://www.potterybarn.com/ for some additional motivation.

It seems that chunky little birds are all the rage in the decorating world right now, and I was more than excited to hop on this trend.

I found these adorable chubby chirpers at Michaels for $1.67 each!

And some glass apothocary jars for $4 each.




Added some faux eggs, natural material balls which remind me of nests, and some robins egg blue candles to help welcome in the spring....

And of course a photo of one of my two favorite little men.....This particular photo happens to be my absolute favorite photograph ever! It was taken by a good friend and extremely talented photographer, Bernadette Uzcategui. You can see more of her talented work with families, babies and pooches at http://www.buphotography.com/!

Here's the final product! What do you think?

I think with a mantle like this spring MUST be right around the corner...who cares what that silly groundhog has to say!

Next stop the playroom, or as I like to call it, where the toys R us exploded.....

A day every mother dreads....

I've seen this before with Jack, but it's a day I was hoping would not come so soon for Grant....

The other day I looked at Grant and realized that my baby was not so much a baby anymore! All the signs were there that this day would be soon, he can walk up the steps on his own without needing to hold a hand, is feeding himself from a fork or spoon without making messes, and just yesterday pointed up to a falling leaf in the sky and exclaimed with delight "Butterfly", clear as a bell.

As sad as leaving the baby stage may be, we couldn't be more happy with the toddler Grant has become. He has a particular calm, quiet yet always joyful demeanor about his personality which always makes us smile.

And luckily I already have the best prescription to cure baby fever.....and he is due April 13th!

From baby to big boy in three years flat!

In a few weeks Jack will be turning FOUR!

It seems impossible that such a tiny

baby could have grown SO quickly into such a smart, caring and FAST little man who lives every moment with a passion that we hope never fades. Here's a little trip down memory lane, of our "Big Boy".

Here he is, just three short years ago. Welcome to the world baby Jack!

Ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes!

Good night, sleep tight!

Just a few days old, oh the wonderous places you will go Baby Jack!

There were trips to the Pumpkin patch.....

First winters, first snows and a first Christmas....

And most of our adventures included stylish attire by "Janie & Jack", (www.janieandjack.com) which you wore with such charm! Daddy even learned to stop asking, "Does this outfit have a hat to match?"

Welcoming home new members of the family!

And of course lots of fun along the way!

"Roaarrrrr!"

We wish you all the best this world has to offer!

Happy Fourth Birthday Jack!!

Be sure to check back for a very special Birthday celebration!

My heart beats for...Crayola?

Valentine's Day has become a big event at our home this year. Jack is very excited to share a little love with his pre-school class and we found the perfect crayon craft for our boy with a "rainbow personality"!

We started by carefully peeling the labels off no fewer than 120 crayons and broke them into small pieces. After sorting them into coordinating colors Jack loaded them into heart shaped tins. With 40 minutes in the oven at 170 degrees they melted into a swirl of beautiful colors! Jack can't wait to let his friends know that they "color" his world!

Grant didn't want to be left out of the fun, now that he has his own little club of adorable two year olds! We found an equally fun way to let his school friends know that they are a "Hoot"!

Check back for some more fun Valentine's Day treats that my two little sweeties have in the works!

Let it Snow!

If you turn on the news at our home you will hear about one thing lately...Snow! This comes as fantastic news to our snow loving boy Jack, and he wasted no time getting into snow attire and heading for the white stuff!

Grant preferred to admire the snow from the warmth of the living room in his PJ's.

Ella was not impressed with the snow either!