Christmas 2010 at home in NH

Chestmut Performance, and Cookie making at home

Making Gingerbread cookies at home


Charlotte our Little Angel


Walking in to the chapel






Maeve having breakfast with Santa that morning, She was not a fan of sitting on his lap.

Today we celebrated Charlotte turning 5 years old (on Tuesday) at the American Girl Doll Store in Natick with her friends. On a normal day the store would surely be chaos. Add to that chaos a little "3 weeks till Christmas" shopping choas and together it equals Dad overload. Dolls everywhere, outfits everywhere, kids everywhere, mom with giant shopping bags, on two floors and my brain melted down. The good news is despite my anxiety overwhelmed too many people in one store with no direction issue, Charlotte had a ball. Turning 5 is a big deal, and its even a bigger deal to spend the day with your girlfriends doing what girls do best, shopping and playing dolls. Charlotte got a new doll, Maeve got a new doll, and dad got to witness the inner workings of what actually happens in an American Girl Doll store. (oh and what really happens is they make a FORTUNE)

To say Charlotte had fun would be an understatement, and her little sister didnt feel like a little sister but one of the girls all day. Maeve picked her doll with relative ease (Livvy, although we think she was influenced by someone to call her Elizabeth, which she cant say well so it was shortened to Lizzy, which she happens to say with a slight lisp as Livvy). LIvvy was born. Pretty simple.

Charlotte on the other hand picked a doll at first, from the make your own doll section (which is not really make your own, but more like pick a different doll that has almost everything you want it to have). After picking the doll, she found another one, and then on her way back upstairs to tell us she found another doll, found yet another she liked. In the end all three dolls were lined up like a police line up and Charlotte had to pick the one she wanted. In the end it was the first doll she picked. Always works that way. Go with your gut kid and you wont go wrong.

We all sat, had lunch, and the girls even got to eat with their dolls. Dad, not being one to be left out, was able to borrow a "guy doll" from the store to eat with. Everyone had their dolls, everyone had fun, even carrying three giant shopping bags, bumping into people, trying to keep an eye on your kids, wondering just how much mom was really spending, type of fun.

More videos!

Charlotte and Maeve were in a fashion show at Nordstrom. Charlotte decked out in a blue mini Boden dress. Maeve in mini Juicy Couture outfit. They LOVED getting the model treatment including full makeup at the store.

These girls love to dance

backstory. We were in Sears for mom to return some stuff. In the men's section there are these televisions hanging from the ceiling. Music videos playing. My kids think it is their own personal dance party so they started dancing and didnt stop!

End of Summer Camping and Apples

Summer has come to an end. Yes, many vacations, many many hot days, sunny weather, and very little rain has been replaced with cool nights, and crisp warm days. We decided to take advantage of a long Labor Day weekend with a little camping trip to West Ossipee NH. Mom was not excited about two nights away in a tent, not for any other reason than she knows Charlotte and Maeve would not sleep well. She was right.

Despite the lack of sleep the girls had a blast playing with the other kids (Pam, Kurt & Sammy/ Paul Jena & Marin & Declan/ Jess Scott & Ava & Harrison).




Highlights of the trip, the heated swimming pool that was enjoyed by the kids, the 35 seat movie theatre with a showing of G-Force, and of course just the fun of sitting by a campfire on a chilly night. Oh an the visit from alien spacecraft at the campsite.


Lowlights of the camping trip, mom catching a molten marshmallow on her chest and the two leaches that dad found on his feet from the river. All in all a successful trip.

(watch out charlotte with that hot marshmallow on the end of the stick)


(mom takes a hot marshmallow in the chest)


(careful, there could be leaches in that water)




Since we only camped Friday to Sunday we had all day Monday to enjoy. With clear blue skies and weather in the low 70's it only made sense to enjoy the day apple picking.

Maeve, Maeve, Maeve

Miss Maeve is just a piece of work. She is potty trained...well, for the most part. She speaks in full sentences....lots and lots of full sentences. She sings her alphabet, and counts past 10. She knows all the words to the Vacation Bible School music and has her very own favorite songs. Her favorites include, Step By Step, Our God and This Little Light of Mine.

She can be a bit shy when talking to people she knows as well as strangers. She does not like men (which is a great thing;)) She gets very embarrassed if we catch her singing or dancing to music. Gosh, this kid loves music.

She has a temper....a quick and aggressive temper. She is rough with her older sister. Almost daily she will cause a fight...it isn't pretty. She HATES time-out...I mean HATES it.

She loves us all very much. Is always so excited to see us and always wants to know where her big sister is. She wants to go to school like her big sister, farm camp like her big sister, chew gum like her big sister and on and on.

She gives the best hugs, is super funny, and beautiful beyond words.

First Trip to the Beach this summer

We got from Puerto Rico and the next day we decided that we would take the girls to the beach. They had a blast but it was overload for mom and dad who had been away from kids for a week. Mom wanted to take the next flight back to Puerto Rico.

Ballet Recital

Charlotte had her second ballet recital of her career. It was a hot mess. But she loved it and and we loved watching her. Maeve was so proud of her sister and she loved sitting on Grampy's lap or dancing and clapping for her sister.








The day after the recital we left for Peurto Rico. Nanny and Grampy watched the girls for 5 days. The girls loved it so did nanny and grampy. Dad was ready to come back, mom loved relaxing and having alone time. She could have stayed a few more days. it was a great trip but very hot and humid.

Charlotte Graduates from Preschool (the second time)

Time Flies

Time, is not on our side. It is spiraling out of control and seems to be speeding up! This week Maeve became a kid. She has learned to use the potty and has been going every day over the past two days. Crazy! She is the proudest little pooper we have ever seen. Then again, any kid would be proud if you give them a healthy dose of chocolate after a bowel movement. We are proud of her and we are so looking forward to being done with diapers. Diapers and summer do not go well together. Diapers in water BAD. Diapers in sand BAD. Diapers in heat BAD. The light is at the end of the tunnel and we are getting closer to that land of diaper free kids!



Sorry we have to post these. We know one day they will resurface. Hopefully around the time she starts dating. Dad will pull these out and do his best to scare off any potential dates!


And to not leave our crazy little one Charlotte out we have included some of the latest pics of her. Yes, riding her bike around the street with a tutu and her rubber rainboots. Crazy kid. We love you!