Friday, July 30, 2010

Happy Birthday Xander!

After a birthday dinner from Fuji China (for the grown-ups) and McDonald's (for the kids), we had Mickey Mouse cupcakes for dessert. They were too cute!!


I had a rough morning, getting up in time for the party. I was still putting snacks together while people were getting here. Thanks to Lisa and Susan, though, for helping out with the cupcakes!
The kids were jumping from the couch to the beanbag chair! The worst part was getting a bunch of 1-3 year-olds to take turns jumping! Here's Kennedy, mid-air:
Jason
Alison (and Christopher)
Mark helped with Mickey Mouse's whiskers
There's my cake! The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!!!



Thanks for taking some great pictures, Lisa!!
Trying to get a family shot

Lisa, Xander, Kennedy and me

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

36...

Xander turned 3 last Friday, and I was inspired (though delayed) by someone else's post to think of 36 things (for 36 months) about my kiddo!

1. He has the best laugh.
2. He has the sweetest smile--seriously, he could be a model or something.
3. His most ticklish spot is on the inside of his thighs.
4. His favorite new toys are Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
5. He can blow bubbles in the water.
6. His legs aren't quite long enough for him to pedal his tricycle.
7. He usually falls asleep twirling his hair (or with a finger in his nose).
8. He easily navigates around Playhouse Disney on the internet.
9. He knows all his letters, but sometimes gets J and K mixed up.
10. He can almost count to 20. Sometimes he leaves out 13.
11. He doesn't like to be called anything but Xander.
12. He often goes to bed with very little dinner because he's so picky and refuses to eat what he's served.
13. He still sleeps with the same blanket that his Godmother Andrea gave me at my baby shower. He calls it his snuggle blanket.
14. He pretended to be potty trained, but often refuses to sit on the potty when we send him. Instead, he'll wet his pants right there in the bathroom. It's very frustrating.
15. His one job is to set the table at dinner time.
16. He can hold onto a doorknob or the fridge handle and put both feet up. That's why I call him a little monkey.
17. He loves to sing. He even sings along with the instrumental parts on the Little People CD, and he knows the second verse to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
18. He's had stickers the past couple of times he's gone to church with me, and when he peeled them off and stuck them on the paper, he sorted them.
19. He wakes up way too early in the morning.
20. He likes to snuggle in our bed in the morning.
21. He likes to wake up his brother in the morning, despite our wishes.
22. It tickles him when I wash between his toes in the bath.
23. He doesn't like to clean up.
24. He's an expert at puzzles.
25. If it weren't for goldfish, hot dogs and chicken nuggets, he would probably starve.
26. He loves to drink white milk, but he won't touch chocolate milk.
27. He likes to close his own door when he gets in the car. Problem is, he usually closes it before I buckle him in.
28. He always has been a Mama's boy!
29. He randomly tackles, hits or pushes his big brother. He's kind of a bully sometimes.
30. His favorite books are Bark, George, The Cat in the Hat, The Very Cranky Bear, and Frank Asch books.
31. He can recite most of all three of those books by heart.
32. He hates getting his hair cut. So right now he has a shaggy cut that goes down over his ears and makes him very sweaty when he plays hard.
33. He loves his Gramma!
34. He loves his Aunt Mo!
35. He doesn't like the vacuum cleaner or hand blowers in public restrooms.
36. He's the sweetest little boy I could ask for!!!

Happy Birthday, Xander!!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Summer Alphabet Adventures: B

B is for...birdhouses!! Did you know that the dollar store is a great place for crafts? We went and got a couple of unfinished birdhouses. That afternoon, I brought the kids' table outside and let the boys pick colors for their birdhouses. Then they got to painting...

Zack's before with his pallette

Xander looking oh-so-professional painting the inside of his birdhouse

"Aren't I an artist, Mommy?"


"Look, Mommy, I got paint on me."

The finishes products, and the mess afterwards

Monday, July 12, 2010

Summer Alphabet Adventures: A

So when I realized how difficult weekends were, mostly because the boys weren't used to being together all the time and their favorite pasttimes were crashing cars while yelling and running up and down the hallway while screaming, I decided that something had to be done during the summer. Honestly, I was dreading it, summertime, that is. My first idea was to visit every playground in the county. Problem is, it's hot here in summertime! Idea number two was to do something outside having to do with each letter of the alphabet. That idea kind of stuck, but swimming lessons for three weeks got in the way of that. So...we're just going to do something that starts with each letter of the alphabet sometime this summer, preferably in order.

A is for airport...the playground at the airport observation park, anyway.
Look, Mommy, I found a rock!
Heaven on Earth...a boy in the sand!

Sitting on the spider/crab thingie

Gimme some love, Zack!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

New York City, part 2

Dancing on the big piano at FAO Schartz...even the big kid wanted to play!
Chubacca--made out of legos!

Thanks for the activity/coloring books, Uncle Mike. They are great for keeping hungry little boys busy while waiting!


"Hanging" out with Daddy at Uncle Mike's house

Saturday, July 3, 2010

New York City, part 1

After a twelve-hour ride to Brooklyn, we just relaxed the first day with a trip to a playground and a street fair near Uncle Mike's house. It was so hot, and we got sunburnt! We had Mexican that night, and Zack and I tried guacomole for the first time. Mark and I also had some really big margaritas!

On Monday, we took the subway (for the first time) to Central Park, where we wandered around for just a little while and found a big rock that was great for climbing. Then we visited the American Museum of Natural history.

Uncle Mike gave Zack his old camera, and Zack was just thrilled. He really enjoyed taking pictures!



Xander actually took this picture of me, not bad, huh? Well, the next three pictures drifted down progressively until he just got my feet.

The mama barosaurus

Xander was so excited about seeing the dinosaur bones, but he decided to count the holes in the heater vent.

A couple of not so great ones with the boys and dinosaur bones...


Xander was so sleepy, he fell asleep in the stroller. This actually happened most days...poor thing!

The fam with an elephant (and an elephant butt)
Still more to come...plus, watch for our Summer Alphabet Adventures!