Happy Birthday Zoe!

Zoe's birthday fell on a Sunday this year. Daddy had church obligations the day before and the day after, so we kept things simple. We had a nice steak dinner (I think Zoe only ate the cucumbers) and then had a few friends over for cake and ice cream.

Zoe requested a My Little Pony Cake. I think it turned out okay. This is my interpretation of her favorite pony "Scootaloo". Here is the birthday girl waiting for the song to be complete...
Trying to blow out the candles after the were re-lit. Noah and Jenna were a little too eager and did it for her. In the end I ended up "helping" her. She doesn't quiet get the concept, I guess we need to work on it before next year.

The party guests eagerly waiting for cake and ice cream.

The following morning Zoe had her 3 year check up. She now weighs 28 lbs. and is 34 1/4 inches tall. Still small, but at least on the growth chart. I think her big attitude, independence, and determination make up for her small stature. I am so proud of her on deciding to be a "big girl" and say goodbye to the diaper. She decided it was time to use the potty all on her own and this time around potty training was a breeze.

A,B,C's and 1,2,3's

Look who started Preschool.....

Yep, that's my baby girl. I can't believe she is getting to be such a big girl and less dependent on me. Where has all the time gone?

Noah and Zoe both go to preschool one day a week which gives me about 2 hours all to myself. Let's just say it is heaven. I love my kids, but am really enjoying the time by myself. It helps that they both look forward to it every week and most often get up and dressed all by themselves. Weekly homework is a bit of a challenge, but it is nice that we can make it a family affair. Their teacher has been dealing with medical issues, so school hasn't been as regular as I would like it to be, but I am glad to have this free resource available to me.

Dinner and a Movie

I am tired of Daddy always being the "fun parent" and getting credit for making creative and fun meals. So, I decided to do something about it.

The kids really wanted to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," so I picked it up at the local Redbox the day it came out. I decided lets make it fun and eat Spaghetti and Meatballs before the flick. Since I'm not the Italian chef of the family, I decided to cheat and use bottled sauce.

A few pictures before dinner, to record this special event....

Let's just say things didn't turn out so great. The kids hated my dinner...their Dad has turned them into pasta snobs. At least they enjoyed the movie. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.

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In hopes to redeem myself from the spaghetti flop, I decided to make muffins when the kids watched the new Imagination Movers Muffin Man episode. This time around I was a hit and the kids loved it. I guess I better stick to baking and leave the pasta up to Dan.

Happy New Year!

We survived another year. We tried to make this New Year's Eve as memorable as last year's (with Grandma Sandi) so we had our own little party. Look at this spread all the necessities of a good party chips, dips, salsa, cocktail weenies, olives, cheese log, and veggie tray. We watched "Night at the Museum 2" and then toasted the East Coast New Year.

Daddy even let them do confetti party poppers inside the house. We managed to have a lot of fun even without the cousins and the kids were in bed at a decent time. Got to love satellite TV.

Too Much Fun!

After a few fun filled days at Grandma Sandi's house it was time to go home and play with all the new toys. The fun lasted for several days. Here are a few pics of their new toys and the family fun.

A Cabbage Patch Kid from Grandma Mona and Grandpa Kyle.
A Baby doll that cries real tears from Grandma Lynie and Papa Mike....

One of Tinkerbell's friends from Auntie Lori and Uncle Rod...

Barbies from Uncle Cameron...

Building blocks from Papa Mike and Grandma Lynie...

Monster Truck from Grandpa Kyle and Grandma Mona...

Remote control car from Auntie Lori and Uncle Rod...

Hot wheels from Uncle Cameron...

The unsuspecting Alligator in "Gator Golf"...

I don't think we have to worry about Noah or Zoe becoming the next golf pro.

"Ants in the Pants"....Noah isn't patient enough to learn how to make the ants jump. Thanks for the challenge Grandma Sandi.

Zoe putting together her new Princess puzzle from Grandma Mona and Grandpa Kyle...

"Don't Spill the Beans"...Noah hasn't quiet figured out the object of this game yet. But he gets a good laugh from it.

"Elefun"....catch the floating butterflies before they hit the ground...need to get better batteries.

Christmas Morning

Noah and Zoe were really excited to see that Santa came after all. Dan and I were a little disappointed and didn't get to see Noah's initial reaction. Some how he got up and ran down the hall with out us knowing. I was half asleep and thought I heard footsteps, but didn't act on it until I heard a loud gasp - his reaction to seeing the loot. But he was still super excited when we all made it to the living room.

Before the chaos...
"The socks," as Noah refers to them. I think we could have stopped there. They really liked the Band-Aids, hot wheels, and candy.
Santa got it right this year and brought Zoe her "Whoopsie Doop" and Noah his "Big Garbage Truck." Noah admiring the Transformer his sister picked out for him.

He was really excited about it mini remote control car.

With all the presents unwrapped, wrapping paper put in the trash, and toys put in bedrooms it was time to get dressed and head over the hill to Grandma's house. The kids were good sports about leaving their toys behind and not having an opportunity to play with them. I guess they were really excited to see Grandma , or was it to watch a movie in the van on their new portable dvd player? I guess will never know. We had a few fun filled days with Grandma, Papa, Auntie, Trenity, and Chelsea. The time went by way too fast, but Dan and I really enjoyed the opportunity we had to leave the kids behind and catch a movie. Maybe next time will add dinner to the fun.

T'was the Night (and day) before Christmas...

...and all through the House. We stayed pretty busy the day before Christmas with last minute preparations. At the top of the list was making cookies for Santa Clause. This year I decided to invite their friends (Wyatt, Dayton, and Jenna) over for a fun filled afternoon of making treats for the big guy in red. I need to remember next year not to go so crazy -- I made way too many cookies for the kids' attention span. However, it wasn't as messy as I thought it would be and they weren't that interested in eating as they went. Everyone left with a little plate of goodies for Santa and his reindeer. I think they were more interested in playing with toys than being creative, which was fine by me. I was just glad my kids were worn out a took a nice nap afterwards.
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Noah's plate of cookies....
Zoe's plate of cookies (she ate one)...
We stuck with our traditional Italian Seafood Christmas Dinner, even though we are no longer Italian. I am amazed out how much my kids love seafood.This is how the tree looked before Dan and I went to bed. I think this is the fullest our tree has ever been. (Thanks to all who sent gifts our way!) We were a little crazy and stayed up way too late - we weren't assembling gifts, or wrapping presents - instead we were watching midnight mass, as I had always been curious. Needless to say it was a cultural experience and it was interesting to notice the differences surrounding the Catholic traditions as compared to the ones I have grown up with, including the people officiating the service.