We entered a magical world at the end of the week as the snow fell and we hiked through part of the Audubon conservation near our house.




Hanky shining in the afternoon ... His "office" is a favorite spot.


Jane and Turner enjoying the play ball that our cousin Melinda sent. Essentially it is a pillow with a zipper that we got to fill with stuffing. The kids love it.

I've noticed that there are not so many moms around here with 3 kids in tow when we go to certain events. So I started thinking... maybe there are fewer families out there with 3 than I think - or more likely, they are just smarter than me and don't go out of the house together :) So we've decided to have a few clubs starting up at our house. Today was a music group with the musician Stacey Peasley - I met her at church so I invited her to come with her kids and some other moms that I've met in Natick. It was a bit nutty but lots of fun. Jane sat back in awe for the first 15 minutes as Stacey went through all of her favorites - wheels on the bus, "abcd," twinkle twinkle... I could see her at a concert in years to come holding up her iphone lighter app as she adores her favorite band. My biggest worry was that Jane was going to pee on someone as she loves to sit on the laps of other moms when the music is playing - she made though and is potty training like a champ even through the obstacles I set up for her. Henry was adorable during the show - he was smiling and cooing along with the beat. Perhaps he will join Aunt Catherine some day.






Next up - a lego club for Turner. We'll plan that after we plan his Winter Birthday Olympic party! Any ideas - send them to me :)

Here's the little man back in the pool at the Y!

And the bug continues...

To say that the last week and 1/2 has been yucky would be an understatement. We have all learned to share the bathroom in a new way as the stomach bug literally tore through our house. Hank was the last to fall tonight. (I should say that Katie, Jim and Gace - as Jane calls her - are still standing.) Poor little man has an ear infection and now the bug. He's sleeping now so I am on my way to bed before "night" falls and we jump into action. Seriously, I'm beginning to think that "night" is really more of a theoretical concept than a designated time for sleep. I shouldn't complain though - I napped for over an hour today.

Pictures from the week:

We had a lazy day on Friday - didn't get out of our pj's until 3 - but that doesn't mean we were just sitting around. Here's the energy of a 4 1/2 year old caught on camera.






Then, we adorned our new winter shirts with built in gloves and went outside to enjoy the snow. Jane was caught eating yellow snow and thankfully Turner quickly led her away. You'll notice Jane has a tie on. She wore it all day on Friday pointing to it and saying "Dada."



Lego mania continues for Turner - Here is his T-Rex and museum that he made during quiet time. Hank is sure to eat one of the smallest pieces soon - they are smaller than his food - but he'll appreciate the Lego collection later!

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And the little guys first dose of amoxicilin - the pink stuff!


On the adult end... I started classes last week - A&P II - with a great professor and familiar faces. Not sure exactly where this is taking me, but it feels good for now.

Matt has done another amazing job at raising money for the school - they've completed their fundraising for this school year and can begin to save for the next.

Finally I heard this today from a dessert chef interviewed by Foodies - a PBS show about food -I thought it fit us very well:

"People say I think out of the box - I don't really see that - I just think in my box and my box is some place else."

Jane's vocabulary continues to grow and since Christmas, she has added: "Henee likes it", "geggos" for legos, au ca for (the much needed lotion for her dry skin) and most recently "throw up." Last night was not so pretty -rice and beans at 3:00 a.m. Matt was a superstar and Jane was much like her older brother - "boot and rally" as we called it in college.

Here's a picture of her dressed up as Turner just hours before her downfall. Very Funny.




Hanky turned 6 months old yesterday. We made it! He's still a spitter and not much of a long sleeper- but he is happy and a little more predictable. He has such a gentle demeanor and is very curious about the action in our house. He's on the solid food train now and has liked everything but carrots and apples. He smiles in a way that gives us flashes of all of the hidden answers to life. Happy Half Birthday Hank!

Back in the swing of things

Vacation was awesome! We rested, we played, we visited, we went to Stones's pub at 3:00p.m. (yes, that is a picture of Jane mixing her ice cream with her curry.)






And now we're back in the swing of things. School - playgroup - sleep training and home improvements. Our biggest change has been to move Hank's crib into Turner's room & a new loft bed for the T-man. We do love Ikea.







Happy New Year & post viewing to all