Beach Day

One day this week, we packed up 2 cars, 7 kids, countless sandwiches, and headed to Fort Foster, on the beautiful Maine sea coast. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! The kids had a blast, and even Noah's toes touched the sand this time!





















Click here to see the rest of the (unedited) pictures of the day.

Trekking Across the House

Such frequent travelers needed their own backpacks, we decided. Both boys got to pick their own backpacks - Braiden picked Thomas the Tank Engine, and Noah picked Elmo.



I had to wrestle them away from the boys for bedtime...! Cell phone pictures don't do the cuteness justice.

Hobo Railroad

On Sunday, our train enthusiasts got to ride another "Daddy Train!" as Braiden puts it (everything big is "daddy" and everything small is called "baby" in Braiden's world... So this is a "Daddy Train"!). The ride was 1 hr 20 mins long, and no surprise, the boys loved it. We were with my sister's family, so even more fun, even though the boys did miss Daddy and kept mentioning him...

Thanks to my Sis for all the pictures!!


Mommy and boys, enjoying a picnic lunch on the train.


The ride was scenic, despite the rainy weather!


Uncle Scott got the little people lollipops. Brilliant plan, kept them glued to the seats for most of the trip.


Braiden enjoying his treat.


Noah and mommy gazing outside.


Braiden stayed still the entire trip, mesmerized, but Noah is getting a little antsy in his seat...!


Getting back to the station.






Noah showering mommy with some slobbery kisses!

New Skills and Outside Fun

Braiden and Noah squaring off (Cell phone pictures of our outside adventures yesterday)


Noah's new skill! He climbs up the ladder all by himself!


What a fun swing!!


Look Mom - no hands!

At the Farm

We visited our favorite farm a couple of days ago... an ice cream farm, with a petting zoo!


Cousin Sarah helped the boys feed the donkey.


Braiden got into it too - from a distance.


"Hi Moo!" Noah would bend down and say that not only to the cow, but also the donkey, peacock, goats, and bunnies.

Life in the Fast Lane

(Blurry picture from my phone.)

Braiden Shaving?

Puberty has a way of sneaking up on you.

Real Winners

My sister and I are realizing exactly how hard it is to get kids ages 1, 2 and 3 in the same picture, let alone looking at the camera or smiling. Nonetheless, the three little ones are excited to be back together!









... But if you think 3 is hard, try taking a good pictures of 6 kids three and under! From our playdate yesterday, picture taken by my sister.

Choo-Choo!

Trains are a serious business.

Braiden and Noah, in true boy fashion, have always loved trains. But ever since we went to ride the "Mountain Thunder", engine #734, at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad on Mother's Day, the boys have been living, breathing and eating trains.

Our train set was once again set up, and it has been in constant use. The boys share it very nicely, and both have their own favorite trains to chug around - with the occasional firetruck thrown in. :-)

Braiden hasn't stopped asking for us to go back to ride the "Loud Daddy Train", and Noah gets extremely excited about any mention of trains! Braiden is especially fascinated with the bell on the train, while Noah just likes to make train sounds.

All aboard!

Splish Splash in the Pool!

Note to self: next time, change them into swim trunks first, then fill the pool.


When I got the pool, I really thought it was bigger. But looks like they made it work. :-)

Noah Is 18 Months!

Happy 18 mos, Noah!

Noah is such a delight to all of us. He is still the happiest little boy, loves to be with people. His smile lights up the room, and he gets excited about everything! Noah's favorite buddy is big brother Braiden, and favorite time of the day is when Daddy comes home.

Noah is a very active little boy...! Always running, asking to go outside and quite the dare devil at times. He has become a very picky eater, but will drink just about everything (as long as it's in someone else's glass). Noah loves to read, play with little cars and cuddle with his blankie and stuffed animals. Bed time and nap time are always greeted with enthusiasm by this excellent sleeper!

At this point, he has too many words to count, and makes 2 word combos. He is still using sign language a lot, which we all love. He puts simple puzzles together like a pro, and loves to draw!

We love you so much, Noah, and can't believe how fast the time has gone and how big you are getting. Every new phase and skill is a wonderful discovery for all of us!

Noah's Entourage

Braiden has been a lover of blankies and stuffed animals as long as we can remember, but now Noah is entering that stage. And boy, is he ever. These are Noah's latest groupies. If he had his way, Daddy Elmo, Baby Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bear and baby blankie (aka baba) would go everywhere with him. The squeals of delight when Noah sees them are priceless.

Artsy Boys

Braiden told me this morning that he wanted to draw pictures of snakes. So he did! Proudly displaying his artwork here. We have "art time" almost every day, and the boys love it.



Noah's masterpiece from a few weeks ago. Putting handprints on it was his own idea!

What Do Cows Really Do?

Boys visiting a farm in New England a couple of months ago.


Most days we drive by a dairy farm and wave hello to the cows. One time I asked Braiden what the cows do. The answer? "Eat, sleep, poop and drive cars."

Lately he has been calling all of us "honey". As in honey-mommy! / honey-daddy! / honey-Noah!

Braiden often calls himself "you". It's very cute. As in "you's car!" or "hold you" when he wants to be picked up.

Braiden also loves routines. This morning as we were headed out the door, he said bye-bye to our tabletop clock. Then he went over, blew a kiss to it, hugged it and gave it a high-5 (this is our bedtime routine). To top it off, he waved to the clock from the door and said, "Have fun! See you later!"

Every night he closes Noah's door. Before he does, he without fail says, "Nite-nite Noah! I love you Noah!" Little brother responds with his own "nite-nite!"

Sluuuurp!

Noah back in February, making sure mommy's coffee is all done.

Noah loves to drink. Sure, he likes his milk, juice and water... but mostly, he likes what someone else is having. Especially if it's in a can, glass, or a bottle. He'll drink just about anything from 100% cranberry juice to carbonated water, and then asks for more. The look of glee on Noah's face, when he discovers someone drinking something, is priceless!

He's also really into taking caps and lids on and off. He tries to sneak into the laundry room's recycling bin, or even better, to raid the fridge and all those glorious caps you find in there... ketchup, orange juice, syrup...! Gotta watch this one.

Dear Blog

Dear Neglected Blog,

Yes, I know. We are sorry. It's not that we haven't thought of you (we have, every few weeks at least). It's just that we've been... busy. Braiden is 2.5 yrs and Noah almost 18 mos., so you see, we haven't simply been lounging around. They have us up and running from the crack of dawn until the day is done.

Braiden gave up his pacifier, and along with that, his naps. He is talking a mile-a-minute and big into playing with his friends. Noah is talking a lot as well (newest word is "cukkake" for "cupcake") and running everywhere. The boys are playing extremely well together and are a true delight. There are times they can even -gasp!- be trusted to play together unsupervised. Sometimes.

We spend lots of time outside and are getting ready to embark on our summer trips to New England and Finland. We've made daytrips from scenic railroads to aquariums to Civil War battlefields (yes, I'm sure we will show you those pictures eventually).

All empty excuses. We promise to do better. We'll try. Um... we'll try to promise to do better.