Summer's here...?

Snow Day!

Charlie's Bday

For Charlie's 3rd, we decided to go to Gymagine. He loves it there. It's
basically a place where kids run around like loons and bounce on trampolines
and burn off energy like crazy. We said oh yes!
Charlie's 'old' friends (Jake, Emmy, Nicky and Makena) were there, as well
as lots of new friends from preschool.
Of course cupcakes (that looked like caterpillars), Goldfish, and juice boxes
were in full supply. All in all, it had all the elements that a toddler
birthday needs. And the kids had a great time!
(OK, minus one throwing up incident.. what else do you expect? ;-)

Halloween

We had lots of fun this year, since Charlie grasped the concept of Halloween
(i.e. getting candy from strangers) very well.
We went trick or treating in our neighborhood. Charlie was so excited to
run up to the door, ring the bell and say "Trick or Treat!"
When we got home he wanted to see all his candy right away. I totally
remember doing that as a kid. Guess some things are just universal.
We let him have a couple pieces and then he helped us pass out candy at
our door. He showed great self-control (which I didn't even know he had! ;-)
passing out the candy and not asking for any.
Brian and I had a ball watching him on his first 'real' Halloween. Our
favorite quote of the night was when a girl came to the door dressed as a
devil. After we closed the door Charlie said, "I don't like the yak."
Maybe you had to be there....

Thanksgiving

A Milestone to be proud of....

I did not think we would cross this milestone off the list for many years, but alas, Charlie has his first crush - Miss Adrianna. I have to say, though, the boy has good taste. I even told her she looked cute yesterday.
On the way home from preschool I was asking him about his day, what he enjoyed the most, etc. You know, the requisite school questions. Then I asked him, "Do you like Miss Adrianna?" He said, "Yes. She's cute." I said, "Oh, is she nice?" That's when he smiled a sheepish smile and said, "yeeeees." Then he added, "Is she beautiful?" Adorable.

Thomas the Train Goes to School!

Today was Charlie's first day of preschool! Well, I guess technically it was Thomas' first day, because that is how he kept politely correcting people. ;-)
He's going to Nancy's Noah's Ark in Mill Creek, two days a week for 3 hours a day. He was looking forward to it because we've been talking about how cool it is for months (and using it as an incentive for potty training ;-). He went right into the classroom with Miss Adrianna and never looked back once. Hmph. So, I took that as my cue to leave. (I'd been told by many people that you don't want a long drawn out goodbye on their first day). So, I ended up not even saying goodbye at all.
As I drove to pick him up, I was visualizing a crying child with soiled pants clinging to the train set in their playroom. So.... I got pulled over because for speeding. Hmmm... guess I was a little preoccupied. ;-) But the officer let me go without a ticket and I eventually made it within the legal speed limit to find my boy, completely clean, in the same outfit I'd sent him to school in and very happily sitting with the teacher waiting for me. Getting pulled over caused me to be the last parent to pick up. But, I got there on time and Charlie was happy and is looking forward to going back on Thursday. So, all in all, it was a great first day!!

Hoppy First Birthday to Joss!!

Um, this USED to be a bunny cake and carrot cupcakes....

I can't believe it's been a year since Joss was born! Well, with a 45 minute birth, it's not like we had a lot of time to dwell on it. ;-) (She IS a Leo, after all, so in like a Lion ;-)
She's been such a sweet, fun, and loving addition to our family. We can't imagine our lives without her. (I think I might even speak for Charlie when I say that too! ;-)
Happy Birthday, Josselini beanie!! (AKA Emily the train)
We love you!

One of her favorite things to do...somersaults on the couch

The Family that Bathes Together....

After letting the kids tromp through the mud at Silver Lake this afternoon, we
decided to have a "Thomas & Emily Washdown." Yes, this is a Thomas the Train term.
Since the little boy still insists he's Thomas, everything is about trains...even
his sister is now a train. Oh well, at least he's not Barney!
Thomas seemed to like having company in the bath to play with. I think Joss liked
it too. She just spent most of the time trying to destroy things. So I guess that
means she had fun too. ;-)

I'm totally having fun...

Happy Fourth of July!

Reading is FUNdamental! ;-)

Happy 6 Month Birthday to Joss!

It's GO time!

Things in the Norfolk household are about to get ... interesting. We're very excited that Joss has discovered that she can get around (not exactly a crawl yet, more like a tired inchworm ;-)
And it seems she has a propensity for trains and trucks. Of course! Here's a fun video of her first trip. Stay tuned for the next video - probably an excerpt from COPS, where Charlie goes after the perpetrator for stealing his trains and an altercation ensues. Not gonna be pretty. But for now, carpe diem (or a truck, if that's what you're into) and enjoy the cuteness for today ....

Happy Valentine's Day x2!

Um, what can I say? It was impossible to get a picture of them together. Love is in the air. Happy Valentine's Day! And yes, Charlie is sporting a new hairstyle that we've dubbed 'The Brian.' Not sure how we came up with that one. ;-) It happened this weekend after a night of little sleep and pre-coffee. Not condusive to good decision-making. Sorry, C. Oh well. At least he's too young to care. We're just gonna add it to the pics to show future girlfriends. So, again, Happy Valentine's Day!!

Charlie gets a new look

Merry, Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas. I've always loved this time of year, but this year I feel especially grateful and in awe of life and people. Just so much to say and so little time to write.

Some of the traditions that have come about for us are:
Decorating Christmas cookies (and of course set some out for Santa)
Getting together with good friends on Christmas Eve (hopefully this tradition will stick)
Looking at lights on Christmas Eve
Having panettone french toast on Christmas morning
Staying in our pajamas all day on Christmas

OK, that last one is not a tradition. Well, not officially. But, I'm working on getting it on the list. I managed to keep on my flannels until about 3pm this year. Not bad.

This year, we're so happy to have 'Baby Joss' with us. She took a little nap through the opening of most of the gifts, but when she woke up she was the only one with presents left to open. So she didn't have to feign excitement for others while they were opening their gifts. Sleepy, or totally smart? ;-) This year was also a lot of fun because Charlie is starting to understand the concept of Christmas and a fat man in a fluffy red suit who lands his reindeer on your roof and comes down your chimney and eats your cookies and brings you presents for no reason. I don't know why that's a hard concept for a toddler to grasp. But after he saw the shiny new train table he was a believer.

Here's a little video Brian took of Charlie coming downstairs and seeing his presents on Christmas morning.

Happy Birthday Joss - 4 Months Old Today!

Well, that was fast - Joss is already 4 months old!
And, Charlie has stopped hitting her! (for now ;-)
So many things to celebrate. ;-)

She just had her doctor's appointment and we got some good stats:
Weight: 16lbs, 12oz (97th percentile)
Height: 26 inches (96th percentile)

That's my girl!

As for her personality, she's very smiley and loves to laugh, especially when you tickle her tummy or make a silly face. She is totally enamoured with Charlie. She giggles and coos and does her best to get his attention. And he enjoys pretending not to notice because he's a big boy with lots of big boy things to do. ;-)

Charlie Choo Choo Turns Two!

So, Charlie turned 2!! I can't even believe it. We had a train-themed party, um, of course. The kid is obsessed with trains. I know lots of kids go through a train phase, but I swear he's taken it to another level. I think he's a lot like his dad....those of you who know Brian well know what I mean. ;-) I mean, he's REALLY into them. As a mom, I'm getting a little concerned and wondering if I should do a little research on train conductors, see how much they earn, etc. Can't hurt.
In the meantime, Charlie and his friends had a blast at his party. I'm just enjoying these years when it still takes so little to make them so happy. The cupcake choo choo train was a huge hit. Maybe too much of a hit. Charlie ate so much of it that he was up until 9pm (and normal bedtime is 7:30). Oh well, birthdays only happen once a year. Thank god. ;-) Happy Birthday Charlie Choo Choo! We love you!
See more pics from the mayhem, I mean party, on our shutterfly site (click green link on the right and look in the December photos.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

This year we decided to chop our own tree instead of going to Bob's Tree Barn or some crap place that sets up in the parking lot of the local grocery store and sells trees that can't even pretend they're fresh long enough to contain their needles until you get it loaded on your car. Well, we almost got there. We didn't cut our own tree down, but we did go to a place where they cut it down for you on the spot AND as a bonus Brian kept all his fingers and was able to take this photo.

PhotoShoot at Flower World

We had our first pro photos done since Joss' arrival on November 14 at Flower World in Snohomish, WA. We didn't know this place existed before this. It is a beautiful nursery on acres of land. It's a gorgeous display of Northwest beauty. We had a good time and everyone cooperated, which was nice because when I booked it Joss wasn't born, so I didn't know what I'd be in for. ;-)
So family peeps, all the photos are on our Shutterfly page. If you see one you like and want to order a professional print, let me know and I can get it for you through our photographer.