These are a few of our favorite things: August

Dear Em,
Why is it that everyone seems thrilled about these cooler temps except for me? I'm all about bringing back the warm August weather & activities. Our August flew by. I keep wondering where our August went...& then I remember, we did a lot, an awful lot.

These were some of our favorites:

Your first Baseball Game:

Omg, you were so stinkin' cute in all your Red Sox gear as we took you to your first Pawtucket Red Sox (or PawSox) game. "I look just like Daddy," you exclaimed as I put your Red Sox hat on you (which we've had since before you were born but you hadn't worn yet). PawSox games are perfect for first games. The tickets are cheap, the ballpark is beautiful (especially as the sun sets), & it's a great place for kids. Before the game, kids dangle buckets full of baseballs into the dugout, & the players will sign the balls. Unfortunately, we were running a little behind & didn't get there early enough to try that. We realized that getting there any earlier may have been rough. You cheered & you were cute & you filled up on Dels & fried dough, but by the third inning you were pretty antsy. Sitting is not really a strong suit for you. So, we mostly walked around. Luckily, there's a great view of the field from all angles of the park & a great top walking area. There's also a grassy field that fans can sit on & watch the game. That's where we will definitely be the next time. It was a great place for kids who have a tough time sitting still. We did sit in our seats long enough to get on the jumbotron (yes, you were on the jumbotron at your very first game) & meet Paws, the team mascot. You loved it (you cried when we told you it was time to go) & I got tons of outdoor exercise walking. Win Win!

Being Artsy:

This is your very first person you drew all by yourself. Let me tell you, when you're a Mommy the small stuff really matters. I almost cried happy tears the first time it seemed like you were coloring things & not just scribbling all over every page. I cannot describe to you how excited this picture made me. I was practically ready to throw a parade. I know I'm a little biased, but I think you're the most adorable little artist.

Charlestown Seafood Festival:

Daddy was away at a concert & it was just us girls at the festival. We were excited to show Nonnie how yummy the jumbalaya is & how fun the rides are. Nonnie would not step foot on one ride, but you're a little daredevil. Look how high you flew on the airplanes! I see Daddy having a roller coaster buddy in the future.

Looking for Treasures & "Surfing":

I think Nonnie took home at least a ton of Rhode Island beach rocks & shells. When you weren't helping her search for smooth & pretty rocks, you & I were having a blast with the boogie board.

Outlet Shopping:

Megan, of A Baby Makes Four, Nonnie, & I took the kids on our annual fall outlet shopping trip. We blew through so many outlets. I spent way too much money. It doesn't seem fair that most of the things we bought were for you when I think back to how much you seemed to hate shopping during different points of our shopping adventure. Maybe 6 hours of outlet shopping is too much for a two year old? Asking you to try ANYTHING on pretty much wasn't going to happen. I feel like I bought EVERYTHING, waited until we got home to try it all on you, & then brought ALMOST EVERYTHING back when it didn't fit you. Sigh, at least we got some amazing deals, but I'm thinking Megan & I should think about leaving the littles with the Daddys & doing next year's shopping on our own (why do I hear angels singing when I think about shopping without kids?).

Watch Hill fun:

We brought Nonnie to Bay Street Deli & Catering for the best Rhode Island Clam Chowder anywhere, played on our favorite beach, & then went out for ice cream. It was a perfect way to end a work day.

Swimming:

A Visit from Papi:

Car dance party with Papi.

It was so amazing to share so much of our summer with Nonnie & that Papi was able to come to visit for a couple weeks too. It's so hard to live so far away from them, but I think we make the most of the time we do have together.

More fun at the Zoo:

We picked Papi up from the airport & said "surprise, we're going to the zoo!" It was quite a surprise considering Papi had gotten only 3 hours of sleep before leaving to catch his flight, but we all had fun showing him the animals & the zoo's Big Backyard. Plus, he treated us to Dels while you enjoyed a puppet show about recycling (they have puppet shows & story time at the zoo, how cool is that?).

Newport Vineyards Tour & Tasting:

So, you didn't go on the tour & you certainly didn't participate in the tasting. We surprised Nonnie & Papi with a fun date & dropped them off for that part. We hung out in the beautiful, grassy fields of the vineyard while Nonnie & Papi enjoyed the tour & tasting, & I got some fun shots of you & Daddy playing together.

Picnicking on Goat Island:

We packed up dinner & headed to Goat Island in Newport. I first found this spot when I was at a convention at the Hyatt in Newport for work. I had lunch at the poolside restaurant outdoors, surrounded by an amazing view. There's a great grassy area with adirondack chairs. We enjoyed our picnic dinner with full view of the Newport Bridge, sailboats, & a wedding in front of the lighthouse.

Dinner at the Beach (with all the Grandparents):

Pizza, grandparents, & beach...yay!

Shipping up to Boston:

Our plan was to take Nonnie & Papi on a tour of Fenway & then play at the Boston Children's Museum. Well, you know the saying, "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail"? I majorly failed. I'm typically a very thorough planner, but figured I would relax & things would fall into place. Whoops. On non-game days, the Red Sox have tours of the ballpark from 9-4 (& it was a non-game day). After getting stuck in traffic & getting a little lost, we got to Fenway at 11:20 & went to buy tickets for the tour. Unfortunately Bruce Springstein was perfroming that night & the last tour started at 11:00. I was so bummed. Nonnie has never been in Fenway & Papi has never been on the green Monster. After some serious retail therapy at the Yawkey Way Store (probably the most expensive & coolest place to get Red Sox gear), we ate lunch at Remy's. Papi looked at me & said, "that sure was a long drive just for lunch." Augh. I was determined to show them a fun time, & we decided to go on a Duck Tour. The tours are half on land & half on water in a vehicle that is half boat & half truck (a DUCW). It was a blast. You were thrilled when you got to drive the boat. The driver asked you what you wanted to be when you grow up, & you said a sheep. You had the whole boat laughing. After our truck/boat tour of the city, we headed to the Children's Museum. You loved riding the subway. We got there at 4:33 & found out the museum closed at 5 (which shocked me, even the Providence Children's Museum is open later than that). Bummer. We had less than 30 minutes to go through 3 floors of fun. Whoops. We just made the most of our time & planned to go again soon. On the way back to the car we grabbed some dinner & ice cream. I realized I had parked in a different parking garage than we typically do & the one we parked in was way more expensive. sigh, the whole day wasn't exactly what we planned, but we still had so much fun with Daddy, Nonnie, & Papi. Plus, now we can take Nonnie & Papi to Boston next year for a tour of Fenway & fun at the Children's Museum (after better planning, of course).

A visit from our favorite Buckeyes:

It's so fun to watch you becoming friends with my best friend's little one. It's so crazy how much you kids have grown since we were last together in March, it was so nice to be together again. For Baby T's frist trip to Rhode Island, we wanted to show him everything. We went to URI & got you both some URI gear. We went to Galilee for fresh lobsters. We played at the beach. You were so sweet with Baby T. At one point he was crying. You ran into the room & said, "it's ok sweetie, I'm here."

Steak & Lobstah Dinnah:

Every year there is a fair across the street from our neighborhood. We typically have a big get together, & people can walk over to the fair from our house. This year was just so busy. Daddy had a golf tournament & other friends already had BBQs planned. So we had a few people over on Friday night instead of Saturday. Rather than cook hotdogs & hamburgers, we made steak & lobster (correction, Nonnie & Papi made the lobster & then cracked mine open & got the meat out for me). It was the yummiest get together I think we've ever had.

Vermont Get-Away:

While you were away in North Carolina & we were desperately missing you, your daddy & I decided to make the most of it & go on a little get-away. We headed up to Stowe, Vermont. I don't think we realized how much we needed the alone time until we got there. It was an amazing weekend of biking, kayaking, yummy food, a Ben & Jerry's tour, & relaxing on a hammock together with some wine & amazing mountain views. I think Stowe might be one of our new favorite places. It is such a cute town that is so biker & activity friendly. We can't wait to go back & someday bring you.

So, that was our summer. After our Stowe trip, we were back on the road to North Carolina to reunite with you & spend some amazing time with my family (which I'll talk about next week) for Labor Day weekend. Sigh, I think the summer goes by quicker every year. I loved Summer 2012, but I'm ready for Fall 2012 & all the amazing apple & pumpkin smells & activities that come with it.

I love you so,

Mommy

These are a few of our favorite things: July

Dear Em,
Yesterday was a full day...of work & school & grocery shopping & dinner & tucking you in early in preparation for another full day tomorrow. It was sometime in the middle of it all that it hit me. We are back to our non-summer routine. While it feels good to be home & good to be together as our little family of three, it makes me a little sad in my heart. I loved our non-routine summer routine. Every day was filled with new adventures...except when we were too exhausted for adventuring an opted for a seldom night in.

In July, there was so much to smile about. We started with a bang...literally.

Fourth of July:

A lot of people were bummed that Independence Day fell on a Wednesday this year. We thought it was the perfect time to take a mini staycation, & took Thursday & Friday off. We started with fireworks on the water in Narragansett. We filled the rest of our days with the beach, yummy food, fun with my best friend & Nonnie, & our very own fireworks show in our backyard.

Urban Dare:

Your daddy has no skills when it comes to three-legged races.

Your daddy & I also competed in the Providence Urban Dare the weekend after Independence Day. It's a little like the Amazing Race, only in one city. It was a fun day with friends & a great way to exercise. Our favorite find of the day was Harry's Bar & Burger. They've been voted best burger in the USA, & I would have to agree. Their slider style burgers almost melted in my mouth. So yummy (& they had fun drinks too).

Sand Castles:

Steamy days at the Zoo:

What goes perfectly with a steamy day? Dels at the zoo. Roger Williams Zoo also has a wicked fun Big Backyard, an outdoor play area with tons of water & other fun activities. By the end, you aren't just cooled off, you are soaked with a big smile covering your face. I loved our sunny, fresh air zoo days.

Outside Dining:

Outside is the best spot for messy, sticky, chocolate ice cream faces...& dinner with Nonnie, Grandma, & Papa.

Thursday Night Dinner with Friends:

We had so many fun dinners with friends, especially with your Nonnie always being around to babysit. We went to Duck & Bunny (my new very favorite place), The Cove, Pizzico, a PawSox game, & Chelo's Waterfront. It was such a yummy & fun way to fill our summer (& our bellies).

A visit from Aunt Andrea:

We hadn't seen Andrea since our trip to Florida, & it was so great to have her in Rhode Island. Every time we're together, I think it's so fun for her to see you a little bit taller & hear all of your funny, little phrases. You loved every minute of her visit, especially when Aunt Andrea read to you.

Rhode Island Philharmonic on the Beach:

Once a year the Rhode Island Philharmonic plays on the beach in Narragansett. This was our first year going. Grandma, Papa, Nonnie, Daddy, Aunt Andrea, our friend Kara, & I had dinner at Monahans & then headed to the beach. I thought it was the perfect concert setting: sunset, ocean waves, & beach towels & chairs in the sand. It was so fun & also free.

Rhode Island Lighthouse Tour:

Did you know Rhode Island has 21 lighthouses? From what we were told on the tour, it's more than you can find in a area this size anywhere else. Your grandma has been wanting to go on a lighthouse tour & planned the fun outing for all of us while your aunt Andrea was here. We got to see 10 lighthouses, two bridges, lots of Newport yachts, & a gorgeous sunset on the water. I don't think we were really prepared for how windy the highspeed ferry would get, but we had such an amazing time (even if my hair looked like a rats nest by the end).

Picnics on the URI quad:

We try to get a few of these in while the students are on summer break. We end up with the whole quad pretty much to ourselves for a picnic, football, frisbee, & soccer. We only made it once this year, but we enjoyed showing Nonnie the quiet quad & some of the classrooms where your daddy & I took classes.

Getting up close with the animals at the Southwick's Zoo:

This was our first time at the South Wick's Zoo, & I was amazed. I was amazed by how large the zoo was & how many opportunities there were to get close to the animals. My favorite part was feeding the little goats & sheep. You did not particularly love that part. You loved the cute little babies, but some of the animals were a little larger & could get somewhat aggressive when they saw food. As soon as one of the goats jumped up on me, you were done. You were cautious once we got to deer forest (I actually carried you on my shoulders for most of it), an area where we could freely walk with tons of deer. I loved it. I'd much rather be walking around with the animals than watching them behind bars, & the Southwick's Zoo gave us so many opportunities to do that. You were finally happy to get up close with the animals for your very first pony ride (I thought a camel ride would be way more fun, but no, you wanted to ride the ponies instead). You asked for a pony right after your ride, but I think we'll stick with cats...or maybe someday we'll get you a cute little beta fish. Anyway, while the zoo was pricey compared to others we've been to, it was worth it & I can't wait to go back.

Water Fights:

Perfect way to cool off on a hot day.

Playing Catch with Daddy:

Your aunt Wendy got you a little baseball glove. I have to admit, when I first saw it I was not loving the pink. I was also thinking you're probably still too young for a baseball glove. But then your daddy took you outside & started teaching you how to throw & catch the baseball. It was such a precious, precious moment & I'm so thankful for your cute, little baseball glove.

Birthday Parties:

Meeting a Baseball Great:

When your daddy & I met Tim Wakefield, of the Boston RedSox, it was one of my top moments of the whole summer. Plus, it was a little fun to see myself on the front page of the Sports Section the next day.

I love love love that we filled our July with memories, just as we'll do with our September...as soon as I feel like we've caught up on our sleep. 

Stay tuned for our August fun.

I love you so,

Mommy

These are a few of our favorite things: June

Dear Em,
FRICK!! Is it really September? How did that happen?! Sigh, where did the summer go? I kinda pretended that we were still in full blown summer while we were down in North Carolina. We had one more amazing week to float in the pool & build castles in the sand. Today your daddy & I go back to work & you start school, but I find myself smiling as I think about our summer.

We never made a bucket list for this summer, but if we did, I feel like we would have crossed almost everything off. Our summer was so full of fun.

These were some of my favorite adventures in June:

Trips to Iggy's:

We did a lot of taste testing this summer & the results are in: Iggy's has the best clam cakes, New England clam chowder, & stuffies. Aunt Carries has the best fish & chips. Monahan's has yummy food overall & the best location. Bay Street Deli & Catering has the best Rhode Island Clam Chowder. We truly are Rhode Islanders & tried to fit in as many trips to all four places as we can during the summer.

A visit from our favorite friends from Germany:

Being elephants.

Sitting on the camel at Roger Williams Zoo.

It was so much fun to have our friends from Germany, Kerstin & Marco, come out to visit us. The last time we saw them I was just a few weeks pregnant, & we were thrilled to introduce you to them this time. Marco lived in Rhode Island for a year when we were in the same MBA program, & we wanted to show him parts of Rhode Island he hadn't seen before. We started with the Roger Williams Zoo. Afterwards, we had lunch at Five Guys (I guess there is nothing like an American-style burger). We went for a walk on the beach & looked for lighthouses. It was so sweet to watch Marco show you how to skip rocks in the water. We also took them for their very first clam cakes & chowder (at Iggy's of course). It was so great to see them again, & we were sad to see them go. We'll just have to start planning your first trip to Germany (& outside of the country) so we can see them again soon.

Trying to Balance Rocks:

I say trying because ours were not as pretty as the balancing rocks along the Narragansett Wall. In fact, you mostly just wanted to push the rock piles over.

BBQs:

We had so many fun BBQs with friends & family this summer. One of my favorites was hosted by one of my best college friends. A bunch of our friends from college were there with their significant others, spouses, & children. In less than ten years since we graduated there have been weddings, first homes, & babies. It was so just so much fun to catch up.

Learning to play horseshoes & ring toss with Grandma:

You're probably going to need a few more years & lots more practice. Still, it was a precious moment.

Chalk Drawing:

Lawn Mower Riding:

You love to watch Daddy mow the lawn from the windows inside our house, but your favorite place to be while he mows the lawn is on his lap.

Dressing Up:

Spending time with some of my extended Fam:

While your daddy's aunts, uncles, & cousins are mostly nearby, mine are all at least a two hour drive away. We had a chance to spend time with lots of my extended family, & it was so nice to catch up with everyone. They all really got a kick out of how much you've grown. Plus, Nonnie we got to soak up some time with Nonnie for 8 amazing weeks & Papi for a couple weeks.

Tour of the Newport Storm Brewery:

You weren't there for this, but trust me, it was a blast taking the Dads on the tour & then sticking around for a beer tasting.

Trampoline Jumping:

Trespassing at Visiting the Point Judith Lighthouse:

There may have been a sign or two saying "Keep Out," but then how would we have gotten this wicked cute picture?

Standing in the huddle with Tom Brady:

So, maybe it wasn't really Tom Brady, but it was still fun to take Papi to Gillette Stadium for the first time, tour the Patriots museum, & stock up on some Patriots gear. The RedSox season has been a total bummer & we're so ready for football season.

Buying Lobsters in Galilee:

Fresh-off-the-boat lobsters. MMMMM. Did you know that they're probably Maine Lobsters even though they're caught off the coast of Rhode Island?

Painting:

Fun at the Park:

Walks on the Beach:

The ocean was still pretty freezing in June. Daddy, Nonnie & I mostly just put our toes in & went for walks, but you splashed & played until you were soaked.

Celebrating the big 2.5:

Your Luau was the perfect way to celebrate you & the end of June before continuing our summer fun into July.

I loved our June. I could relive it all over again. Sigh, for now we have to get ready for school & work, but tomorrow we'll spend some time thinking about July. It was another amazing month of adventures.

I love you so,

Mommy

love letters

Dear Em,

"Mommy is my family, & Daddy is my family, & Nonnie is my family, & Papi is my family, & auntie Gina is my family, & auntie Jennie & uncle Nick are my family, & uncle Greg is my family, & uncle Jared is my family, right?"

- Emma

Sorry I've kinda disappeared, but we're down in North Carolina enjoying sun & fun & family time...

Holding you in our arms for the first time in two weeks was the most precious moment all summer, & we've been soaking up the family time ever since.

Next week, there will be time for the first day of school, blogging, & getting back into our routine as our little family of three. For now, we're having a blast as a family of ten, all under the same roof. Love it.

I love you so,
Mommy