Easter

Easter. Already. Didn't we JUST celebrate Christmas? Now on to those taxes...

Welcome Spring

Nothing can lift my spirits quicker than the change from winter to spring. I just love everything (except the bugs) that comes with warmer weather-the flowers (Adam would beg to differ), visits to the park, ice cream, dining outside and the array of events that begin once the season turns-like farmer's markets, street music the Durham Bulls baseball games and BBQ-ing with friends. We were so excited by the arrival of spring, in fact, that we crammed everything I've listed above into this last weekend (not to mention one major holiday to celebrate). It's Monday and I am EXHAUSTED-Lord help me...

A year at a glance-part2

1 Minute Old



1 Month



2 Months



3 Months



4 Months



5 Months



6 Months



7 Months



8 Months



9 Months



10 Months




11 Months



Diva 1 Year Old!


A year ALREADY?! We did this with Jack so we decided to keep with the tradition. I love having record of how much the kids change during the first year (even though it makes me a bit sad by how fast they grow up). What I love the most is seeing how much Isla looked like her big brother in the early months-can I help it that I just think they are the cutest kids ever?!

Mr Man & Little Miss-A year older...

The first annual dual birthday was a blast! We hosted a BBQ at our house and had a great time! It was a lot of fun putting together our "Mr Man and Little Miss" party. I found a mustache chocolate mold and thought it would be PERFECT for a party at our house (remember this post). Jack looked handsome in his new Mr Man tie and Isla was a perfect Little Miss in her new birthday dress!

Luck of the Irish

We LOVE St. Patrick's Day in this house. Of course, it's because we are Irish Catholic-but also-two years ago today we received the call that would change our lives forever-UNC had a spot in their dental school for Adam! Flash forward to today and we are loving life in North Carolina with not one-but two March babies! Luckily, spring has FINALLY arrived and last weekend we planted our garden with a bit of time to establish before the kids' birthday party (and as luck would have it, a Saturday this year). I know I was a bit sad by the fact that they would be sharing a birthday-but in prepping for this year's celebration I am excited by all the possibilities for party ideas. I also secretly hope that the kids will want to spend their birthday together long into adulthood (and preferably during college so that Isla will have an older brother looking out for her on those "milestone" birthdays-she's a wild one-that girl). Jack has learned the words to "Happy Birthday to you" and even says, "Jack & Isla"-while Isla twirls around the room-
I hope you are all having as wonderful a day as we are and...

May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks.
May your heart be as light as a song.
May each day bring you bright happy hours,
That stay with you all year long

Get in where you fit in

Before



After





2 Adults + 2 Kids + 1 wild and crazy dog = The need to take advantage of every square inch in our 1000 square foot townhouse. Most things have to serve a duel purpose and some things just have to be reinvented COMPLETELY. Our downstairs coat closet was a DISASTER-and why do two people from California have 10 coats a piece anyway?! We recently upgraded our flooring downstairs from carpet to laminate wood (pics to come)so the vacuum migrated upstairs and all those coats were sifted through (we each kept three)and donated. Since my old work space now houses a crib and I FINALLY got tired of working from the sofa/dining area/kitchen/etc -I decided to turn this "misused" space into something actually pretty nice. All my paperwork/supplies that have been stuffed randomly throughout the house fit nicely in boxes I already had, I found a mistint paint at Lowe's for $2.50 that I just LOVE and overstock carried a knock off Parsons Desk that fit perfectly in the tight space (though it had to be built IN the closet to fit). I borrow a chair from the dining table a foot away and have my very own cubicle! Most importantly-the door closes so I no longer find myself chasing a baby with a half chewed expense report :)

Young Entrepreneur

TOPLESS Dentistry!

Sugar and Spice...Frogs and Snails...

Hope you had a LOVEly Valentine's Day!

Snow Angels

Our "little" snow day was a lot of fun! The white stuff hung around for a few days-melted-and came back a few days later. It has been a CRAZY winter!

Snow!

So far this morning I have ventured as far as my front door. More pictures after we take the kids out to play! Like a nerd, I used a measuring stick to size things up: 5 inches at 7 am. Why do I feel so excited by this? I though I didn't like the snow...

Crazy Girl

The weather here is so CRAZY. The year started off FREEZING. It literally did not get out of the thirty's for a few weeks. Yesterday it was 65 and beautiful. Warm weather makes me want to sew and having a daughter to make little dresses for makes me actually sew. Unfortunately I am new enough to the craft to not yet be familiar with sizing properly and Isla is such a sassy little thing-actually measuring her is NOT an option. I whipped up this dress in about an hour on Saturday and from the looks of it, it won't fit her much more than an hour. Too bad, because I just LOVE the fabric. I think I will just bite the bullet and buy some more and make the dress in a 2T (for a 9 month old-CRAZY).

PS
Crazy Girl has been walking for a few weeks now-before I knew what had hit me I found her on the fifth step of the stairs-I really should have my head examined for wanting two more...

This week I sent both my boys off to school. After spending most of New Year's Day laying around watching football,(isn't Jack such a little dude already) we got ready for Adam's second semester of second year in Dental school and Jack's first experience of school (two mornings a week).

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

With temperatures struggling to reach the upper 30's and a likely chance of snow later this week, we have been holed up indoors-lots of dancing and singing, painting, warm baths and BAKING! My version of mom's beer bread is not quite as pretty but boy, is it yummy! This was my first attempt at Whoopie Pies-easy to make with the help of a eager chef in training and easy to bribe someone potty training.

Fa la la la la la la la la!

It's no wonder my dad has insisted all these years for us to ALWAYS come home for Christmas-and why he is ALWAYS so giddy about it. Having a now "big boy" Jack and little Isla has made Christmas the best ever. It was so exciting to decorate cookies for Santa and leave them out along with a love letter-and to read A Pirate's Night Before Christmas the night before Christmas. It was so fun to say things like, "did you hear that?!" and to watch his face light up with excitement! Christmas morning I listened for Jack to get out of bed and discover that Santa had checked on him during the night, leaving behind a candy cane hanging on the doorknob. "OH BOY" was his reaction as he quickly tore into it. He rushed to our room with it hanging from his mouth screaming, "Santa's here!" The only look of disappointment during the day was once we came down the stairs and there was no sign that Santa had stuck around to say "Hi." Instead of dwelling on it, we quickly gave Jack his stocking and the M&Ms, Slinky and Dora toothbrush made him forget all about it. The rest of the day was full of wrapping paper, yummy food (wooden and real), A Christmas Story and napping. What is wasn't full of was studying for the Boards-thanks Adam-It was a GREAT day.

So the Advent Tree has been a great success! We've cut, glued, glittered and baked our way to Christmas-and with less than a week to go all we have left are holiday stories, visits and A LOT of wrapping for mom & dad. I am still planning the Christmas menu and can't decided between ham or prime rib. I am tempted to go completely off tradition and make a special pasta since I have been working my way through Giada's Family Dinners. Jack's vote is for marshmallow snowmen. A tradition from my own childhood that I plan on reinstating, though tweeking a bit, is crab for Christmas Eve dinner. When I was little, we ALWAYS spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma Claire's with TONS of cracked crab. I remember those dinners fondly, and would not mind carrying it over exactly the same, BUT Adam thinks cracking crab is, "too much work for what you get," and since his hands are getting a workout in school-I guess I can cut him a break. We will have crab cakes instead.
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and if I don't make it back-a wonderful New Year!

PS
Jack DID get a haircut. It was an ugly sight and I fear he will NEVER allow his head to be touched again. He misses his, "tall hair," and I have to say, I think it looked better than what we left the salon with. I am slowly and carefully working on cleaning it up while he sleeps.

Arrrrr! Merry Christmas Matey!

Since we are long done with decorating the house, Jack decided to spread holiday cheer to his pirates. We think their tree house looks great and the, "Pirates are so happy waiting for Santa Claus." -Jack.

Santa's Lap

We have NOT been able to get Jack to sit with Santa since he was a wee one. This is the ONLY time he did it and I'm hoping this is not the trend with my kids-though I know better. I think they look SO MUCH alike in these pictures! I am having a hard time believing that Jack's pic with Santa was taken two years ago and that Isla is already 8 months old (and that it's Christmas again)! We are busy decking the halls, singing carols and sipping hot cocoa. Jack is loving every minute of it (except the attempts at getting him to visit Santa) and I am loving watching my kids develop the same excitement I have for the Holidays. This season is a bit bitter sweet though-I am excited to be spending it in my own home with my own family, but miss the holiday traditions back home. This will be my FIRST Christmas completely on my own-no visits to the parent's house, no trips touring Woodland for the PERFECT tree for the big house and no getting conned into wrapping Christmas presents. I miss you guys and wish you the BEST OF LUCK!

DIY Advent

My first Christmas project of the season-turning an old Hallmark advent calendar into something new and decorative. Years ago my grandma gave me a really neat advent calendar. For everyday it has a fun and festive holiday task to do; learn the names of Santa’s reindeer, make a yummy holiday treat to enjoy, make a snowman out of marshmallows, cut paper snowflakes to hang in windows, etc. It is one of the card style advents, meant to be thrown out at the end of the year. I however, have hung onto to that thing FOR YEARS. I always knew it would be a fun one to have once we had kids. Well, now that Jack is two he is REALLY into Christmas (and is starting to recognize numbers) so we are having fun searching and pulling the numbers from the “tree” and doing whatever fun thing it tells him to do to help get into the Holiday spirit.

I found a tag template online, bought card stock and ribbon from Michael's and "recycled" branches used in my Fall decorations. Easy peasy.