Off to Maine....

We took our first big road trip as a family of 4 to Bridgton Maine over the weekend to celebrate my grandmothers 80th birthday!!! Packed up the car on friday.......Meme joined us for the car ride up, as Daddy had to work and came up later with Grampy.....kids did pretty good in the car, except they were both awake for the last hour and getting very restless....some french fries, juice boxes, cell phones (and pretty much anything else we could throw at them) kept them entertained until we got to the house.

"Are we going to Maine Mom?"

We rented a log cabin for the weekend as this was a surprise for my grandmother.....we were the ones surpirsed when we got there and found the driveway wasn't plowed out....there was about 8 inches of snow on the ground!! Luckily Aunt Cathy and Uncle Robbie were there to save the day....and we carried the kids from the road to the house....a pretty good walk but Aunt Cathy cleared the path for us in her snow boots.....Tyler was so ready to get out of the car that he ran in his sneakers and Meme and I traded off who carried Ava (as she's no light weight these days!!)

Aunt Cathy and Ava looking at the snow

The place was really cute and as we unpacked and had some dinner the rest of the family showed up....Auntie Dawnie, Uncle Kyle, Logie, Dad and Grampy....a full house!!  We all settled in for a good night of rest before the big surprise party the next day....all of us, that is except for Ava.

Ava developed a nasty cough (I swear it happened on the car ride up) and she was up all night, both nights, along with her loving parents....while her brother slept through it all. We stayed in one room with twin bunks and the pack 'n play.....a tight squeeze, but we did it!!

We had lots of family to help us entertain the kids in the morning.

Playdough with grampy....who made the mistake of "pretending" to eat the spaghetti and meatballs that Tyler made him for dinner, and now Tyler thinks it's okay to eat playdough too!!

Ava spends quality time with her Uncle and Cousin....you know toddlers, you know that they are sick but they don't!!

Patty-cake on the couch with Meme, Auntie and Logie

The next morning Cathy and Robbie told my grandparents they were taking them to "a new place" for breakfast......my grandmother surprised when they pulled up to the log cabin and we were all inside!!

As the birthday girl spent some quality time with her great grandchildren, Uncle Kyle and Tyler spent some quality time.....watching 1 of the 3 channels they had on their TV.....

After breakfast it was nap time for everyone.....which meant a long car ride for Ava as she was so congested she couldn't settle in.....lets just say that Joe probably knows Bridgton and the surrounding areas better than I do now.  Then it was time to get ready for dinner....another surprise for my grandmother as she had no idea there would be about 20 of us there.

Brey's Brew Pub had a private room for us......a small private room, but we made it work and it was great because all the kids could play on the floor.....and get in the way of the waitress everytime she tried to bring something to the table!!   We had a great time....Tyler got to play with his cousins for the first time....

At one point during the night Tyler crawled under the table to find me and said "I'm having fun with my friends Mommy" and I said to him, "they're not friends honey, they're family."

As I looked around the table I realized how lucky we all were and although we don't get to see each other often, it's nice to know we can all come together to celebrate such a special person.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMMY!! 

Why are there goldfish everywhere??

So today I decided I would expose my kids to some "culture" and venture out into that crazy city of Worcester to this place I've been hearing so much about....THE ECOTARIUM.  My mother-in-law (DeeDee) agrees to join us and we jump into the car this morning with smiles on our face, excited to

"go to the big house with animals."

I should have just kept driving around on rte 146 because as DeeDee and I chit-chat, Tyler is busy looking at trucks and planes and Ava is babbling to herself, happy with her sippy cup.  Sometimes, a car ride is all a toddler needs for excitement.....but not today!!

We get to the ecotarium and there is a huge stegasaurus outside which catches Tyler's attention and I think, "oh, this is going to be good." I found out online that they will be having a preschool program today with story time, an animal encounter, and crafts....perfect!! Well, it seemed perfect until we walked in the front doors (at 10am for the 10:30 storytime) and this woman looks at us and says "here for story time??" as I nod my head she gives us a ticket and says "you're in for 11:30".....and DeeDee and I look at her and say, "yeah that's not gonna work." 

As we make our way into the exhibits Ava and Tyler busy themselves in the play area while DeeDee and I figure out what to do.....and who was I kidding, DeeDee was going to make sure we got into that 10:30 show.  So we go upstairs and start a craft....and they had snacks which was great because it was all I could do to keep Ava in one spot....and before you know it an employee walks over to DeeDee and says "were you the one who said that 11:30 wasn't an option??....you guys can come into the 10:30 storytime right now."  Yeeeesssssss......so we drag the kids into this tiny room, which was like 150 degrees, and try to blend in sitting on these dinky little rugs while a woman begins to read a story about crabs and counting......

Tyler is bored in 2 seconds and wants out....it's hot, he can't move, and all the grandparents sitting on chairs around the circle (except for DeeDee who's on the floor with us because of our VIP status) are staring at him......he bites me, and so we're out to the hallway for a timeout next to the "stroller parking lot"......as tyler fusses I'm looking through the small jail-cell size window into storytime and see my daughter standing in the middle of it all........back to the story teller.....looking at everyone in there as if to say, "did you all come to see me!"

Story time was a bust but the exhibits were great....perfect size for the kids....and besides chasing to keep up with Ava and keeping Tyler insight....it went pretty well......and so I decided it was time to go outside to see the polar bear!!!

We go out to the back of the building where there is a playground....sandbox....bridges over small streams......very cute and kids were totally into it......no polar bear though, wasn't out of it's "cave" which was kind of a bummer......so before the kids get too exhausted and tired, we decided to check out the train ride......wow, was I pushing my luck, as it was getting dangerously close to lunch time!!

Tyler is really excited and we all hop on the train.....

and then they "start the engines" and Tyler completely looses it.....he's crying but DeeDee and I are not getting off this train.....so to sum things up, it was the longest 12 minutes DeeDee and I have spent together....Ava oblivous that she is even on a train, just wants food in her mouth and nobody to touch her, which is impossible because WE'RE ON A TRAIN!!.....Tyler can't calm himself down, despite the soothing tunnel we go through during which time everyone yells "choochoo"....and to top things off the train actually breaks, oh yeah, breaks and we are stuck waiting for them to fix it.....Ava is dumping goldfish everywhere.....but finally the ride comes to an end and as we walk away Tyler says to me

"I was really brave in those tunnels mom"

As we head to the car to go home....DeeDee and I both realizing that staying for lunch just isn't going to happen.....the kids slowly going into their respective naptime comas....I think to myself that the next people on that train are wondering "where did all these goldfish come from??"

But at the end of the day, as we wind down and I am grateful that DeeDee came with us, I decide that with two kids as cute and loveable as mine there are no bad experiences;

just good ones.....and REALLY CRAZY ONES!!

Ava winding down after a busy day

Terrifying Thomas the train and walking on sunshine....

So yesterday my husband took Tyler to go see "Thomas the Train" in theater with Meme and Grampy.....my mother's (Meme's) treat and he was so excited....

this is the only picture Joe got of the performance......was it because my husband doesn't like to take pictures?? Was is because Tyler was just so excited he was jumping up and down and Joe couldn't catch him on camera?  No.....it's because just before intermission Percy the train fell into a dark coal mine followed by the theater going pitch dark.....and Tyler hysterically crying "take me home Dad....we gotta get outta here"  Poor little man.....but not to worry because the special little light he has in his hand made up for everything....aaaahhhh the joys of being two.

Meanwhile back at the ranch Ava and I had a rare occasion to spend the afternoon ogether......we spent a good half hour making faces on the glass door......

Then Ava decided she needed a snack and we "fend for ourselves" in this household so Ava has figured out that if she crawls around her highchair she bound to find a few morsels on the floor....

once her tummy was filled she spent about 20 minutes trying to fit her bum and her legs into Tyler's booster seat.....it was so cute!

and we ended our afternoon with a little bit of walking (sorry I now you have to look sideways, but it's still cute).....

followed by a tub and a new hairstyle........

What a great afternoon!!!

The little princess turns one.....

Ava Marie had her 1st birthday party yesterday.....and what a crazy year it has been......

at 3 days old when we had to take you back to the hospital you were helpless and I was terrified....look at you now......

you're almost walking and starting to do things on your own.....

like make a big mess when my back is turned.....



or pull some pita bread out of the drawer for an afternoon snack.....

and even help me with chores...

When I wake up in the morning to noises in your room, no matter how tired I am I will try to hop out of bed before Dad just so I can be the first one to see this face waiting for me....

With one look you have your father wrapped around your little finger.....

and you have this "oh so gentle" way of letting your cousins know that you are in-charge

The love that you and your brother have for each other makes me the happiest mommy around!

So happy birthday to my sweet little princess....

May your next year be filled with as much laughter and love as you bring to my life everyday!!

Baby Logan meets Mr. Potato Head

So the thing I love most about having kids is that it is almost guaranteed that when you plan a day full of activities....they will both nap for 3 hours!!! Today for example we had a fun playdate planned with their cousin Logan.....Tyler fell asleep right when his auntie pulled into the driveway and then Ava was awake to play for about an hour before she fell asleep too.  So, it was me and Auntie Dawnie left to play with baby Logan.....and so we introduced her to Mr. Potato Head (and because I didn't have two kids hanging on me I actually got pictures of it).  It started with a sweet introduction....

followed by a more formal, prom-like picture....

and then it was all down hill from there as Logan soon showed Mr. Potato Head who was boss!!

WHO'S YOUR DADDY MR. POTATO HEAD!!

And so being the good auntie I am I thought her father should feel like he was there the moment his daughter fell in love with a toy man....the things we do to our kids just to amuse ourselves.....Logan, you're the best!!

Saved by the indoor playground and "sick" Uncle Kyle

 So I haven't posted in a while but I feel like the month of January swallowed this family whole and we are just getting back onto our feet.....if there's one thing I've learned about sick kids it's that every kid feels better after a popsicle....

 my adivise to all new mom's is to buy some and just keep them in your freezer for that "oh my god there are boogers everywhere because you think it's okay to wipe your nose on anything will you please just sit still" moment.....oh yeah, and they actually make "slow melting" popsicles so if your kid gets a little confused as to which end they should be eating, all won't be lost.....

Well today we decided to get out and go to the playground....the indoor playground....because there's so much snow on the ground you can't even see the slide at our local playground......and luckily for us Uncle Kyle had to stay home from work because he was very sick, so it was off to Natick to meet Auntie and Uncle.....

Let me tell you that Uncle Kyle......at 6'2" and we'll just say around how ever much a person that tall weighs....he fit right in.  Tyler could finally talk to him at eye level from the top of the tree house, and Uncle Kyle even went up there with Ava, although he couldn't stand inside....

You might be wondering....where is Logan?? Oh she was hanging out with mom and Auntie on the pirate ship, in her ridiculously cute pink sweater (oh, and by the way I was informed that she slept through the night for the first time last night, which is probably why her father had so much energy today)

and don't worry....she wasn't left out of the fun, because no daughter of Dawn's was going to miss out on going down the slide....she was so fast in fact that this is the best picture that her mother could get...

....and then there was Ava showing the big girls how to climb the rock wall....

all in all a very fun day which ended with both my kids falling asleep in the car, a successful tranfer of my son from "car napping" into "bed napping", my daughter waiting to do #2 until the moment we walked into the door.....and a call from Meme sounding so sad because she wasn't invited!! Don't worry Meme, we'll take you next time......