Look closely....something's missing!

That's right, Sophia doesn't need training wheels anymore! After just an hour in the park with dad, she figured it out. She is so proud of herself, which makes me so happy.

I said no forks allowed!

On January 31, 2010 we celebrated Chloe's 2nd birthday with a no-utensil spaghetti dinner. It was a joint birthday party with a sweet little friend (who turned 3 years old earlier in the week). Here are the details.

As each kid guest arrived, she/he was handed an oversized white t-shirt (that had the custom party invite on it) to wear during dinner. The kids then proceeded with make colored-pasta necklaces and play toss-the-meatball game till dinner was served.

For dinner, we set up a kid sized Italian-restaurant table for 18 kiddies. There were red carnations, parmesan cheese shakers, and the finest white paper plates and red napkins. The only thing missing...utensils! So, all the kids (there were some protesters) and adults enjoyed eating salad, garlic bread and spaghetti with their fingers! Those white shirts got dirty!

After dinner the kids were given large platters of slimy noodles to rummage through to find hidden gummy candies. Super fun and kinda gross.

Lastly, the party ended with a decorate-your-own cupcake activity.

Overall, the party was a huge success. A great way to celebrate Chloe (and friend).

Stop crying AND sit still AND look at the camera AND get your hand away from your face!

When my sister's family came into town, we decided to get some family portraits taken. We tried to pick a time when the kids would be cooperative. But, of course, once we got there, there were some technical difficulties with the camera, so we got a very late start. By the time the camera was fixed, the kids were a wreck. After many attempts, these are the BEST ones we got of the "cousins" (the photographer gave up too):

Whatcha reading?

A couple of weeks ago we went to the neighborhood 2nd Saturday Playgroup. As usual, Sophia ran off with her friends and Chloe clung to Seth. Trying to entertain her, Seth got a book out and started reading. Very soon after, ALL the kids wanted to hear the story! Sophia and Chloe have a great daddy.

January 1, 2010 Costume Party

too funny to not post!

A Family That Roars Together

Stays Together!

P.S. It all started with Chloe's adorable roar. I think was competing for attention one evening at dinner.

Too Busy to Blog

I'm not sure who regularly reads this blog, but I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in months. Here's a brief update with pictures:

* Sophia is now an expert school-bus rider. In fact, she is now showing a fellow classmate how it's done.

* Chloe is talking A LOT now. She easily puts words together for phrases. Her latest is "singing" a song that Seth chants to the girls when he pushes them down the Extreme Coaster at Grammy's house. The chant is "1 for the money, 2 for the show, 3 to get ready and 4 to go." Chloe says "1, 2 sho, 4 go." It's super cute. Another favorite Chloe phrase of mine is "ok mommy."

* Sophia was chosen "kindergarten student of the trimester" in her class. Sophia was rewarded with a special luncheon (sweet treats included) with her teacher and school principal. It makes me happy that Sophia enjoys school.

* Chloe has learned how to do a thumbs-up. It makes me smile each time.

* The girls got to spend quality time with cousins over the past two months.