Spreading the Love February 19, 2012

Last Sunday we decided to see Great Gran and bring her out for a Valentine’s Day celebration.  Olivia had been asking to see her for about a week so I knew this would bring so much joy to both of them!  Olivia made her a card and, on the way, we stopped at the grocery store and purchased a huge “I LOVE YOU!” balloon and love bug plant.  Once we got to Great Gran’s apartment we enjoyed a little visit while she opened her card and enjoyed her gifts.  Then it was off to Olive Garden, our favorite lunch spot together, for a wonderful lunch!  I love watching how much Olivia enjoys and loves her great grandmother and the fun they have when they’re together.  Happy Valentine’s Day Great Gran – we love you!

 

Sled Christening January 23, 2012

Earlier this week we finally got some snow, enough to take Olivia’s sled for its first run!  As I had mentioned in an earlier post, Brian made Olivia a sled for Christmas, a labor of love that had taken him over a year to complete (mostly due to his schedule, not that it actually took THAT long).  But, despite the fact that it was a beautiful (and very heavy) piece of art we hadn’t had the opportunity to answer one critical question about it – did it work?  So, the snow fell and off we went to McLean Game Refuge to test out Olivia’s ride.

We hiked a ways back into the woods on the big open trail.  It was so beautiful and peaceful with the quiet snow and trees all around us.  The sled glided beautifully and effortlessly along the snow covered trail.  Score!  I think Olivia almost fell asleep a couple of times.  I couldn’t blame her.

We headed for Spring Pond and after walking for about 20 min or so we came across one of our favorite spots down by a stream.  To get down to the stream you have to walk down a pretty good little hill – as good a time as any to check out this sled’s downhill skills.  It was a success and a hit with Olivia who kept telling us…”push me then go away”.  Her version of – push me down the hill.

Mason enjoyed being a spectator.

On the way back Livs decided to walk awhile and loved clopping along in the snow.  She kept trying to find “the deep part”.

At one point she decided she was going to pull the sled herself.  She did a pretty good job for such a little person!

Tired and hungry we pulled her the rest of the way to the car.  We had such a fun outing and now it was time for lunch!

Goodbye Tina, Hello Livs! January 20, 2012

We finally bit the bullet and decided to bid farewell to the rockin’ mullet Livs had been sporting for much of her toddler life.  Yes, we brought her to have her first haircut!  I had visions of never ever cutting her hair, letting her develop that Rapunzel type look but, as many of you know, there is usually a sharp contrast between what we envision and what our reality is.  For me, my reality was a small child with an outrageous mullet and hair that required the skills of a cage fighter to tame in the mornings.

 

We brought her to a kid friendly salon.  They had movies to watch while they got their hair cut and even got a prize when they were finished.  And, to top it all off?  The woman who was cutting Olivia’s hair was named Dora!  Yes, Olivia is an extreme Dora the Explorer fanatic.

 

 

 

She did a great job keeping her head still and looking down for Dora.

She had a choice of hair clips or ribbons to put in her hair and she chose a little butterfly clip.

The finished product!  Trying to feel what’s up there.

Getting her prize from the prize machine.  She did great and we thought her hair looked so cute.  Her mullet now rests in a tiny ziploc bag bronzed for posterity.  RIP little Tina.

Skis Please! January 12, 2012

Brian and I are some of the luckiest people in the world in that we have a great local ski area about 20 min down the road from us.  Score!  We love our little mountain with its great community vibe and can’t wait till Olivia can take lessons here.  It will be the perfect spot!  For Christmas I bought us a couple of midweek season passes so that we can make skiing a weekly thing.  We’ve really been enjoying them and decided it was time to get Olivia out on a pair of boards.

For her first time out we rented some ski’s and boots for the day since we had no idea whether she would like it or not.  I held my breath as they fitted her boots (the most uncomfortable part) and deeply exhaled when she happily stomped around in them and headed over to get her skis!  She was even more thrilled when the ski’s they gave her matched the color of her boots.

We enjoyed a great day out on the slopes together and Olivia really seemed to love it.  Riding the chair lift was her favorite part although it was a bit harrowing for me because she was so small I really had to hold on to her to keep her on the seat.  But, as soon as we lifted off she looked at me and said “Mama, we’re flyyyyyiiiingggg!”  She liked the trip down too and I’m pretty sure she thought it was more of a ride than anything.  We worked some more on flat ground shuffling and getting her feet in snowplow position – 2 things she really got the hang of by the end of the day!  And, to top it off it was January 10th, the day she turned 2 1/2.  What a great way to celebrate!

Heading toward the lift for her first run.

And, we’re off!

A beautiful sight – skis x3!

After being out for 2 hours we went into the lodge to get some lunch and I thought for sure she would be tired.  But, she requested that we all go out again to ski and was happy to snap back into her bindings and go for another couple of runs.  She was even more into it when the 4 and 5 year old class started.  She wanted to get right in there with all the kids!  I can’t wait till she’s 4 so she can start lessons.  I think it will be a favorite thing for her for sure.  Until then she’ll be happy to accompany me and B to the slopes and get some slope time in with Mom and Dad.  She made us two very proud and happy parents!

Heading to the bunny slope with Dad.

A video I shot of one of her trips down with Brian.  She kept wanting to “go fast”.

Apres ski.  She only started crying when we took her boots off and told her we were done for the day!

Love this kid!

New Year, New Beginnings January 12, 2012

We got back from our trip west and immediately got to work getting ready to celebrate the New Year.  I personally was happy to see 2011 go.  It was a rough year for all of us filled with a roller coaster of life’s handouts and I was ready for a fresh start!  Last year when Brian was gone for the entire holiday I wanted to do something different and fun to find a way to still enjoy the New Year.  My plan worked out well and we all had such a good time that everyone wanted to do it again this year.  Looks like we might have started a bit of a tradition!

We met my Uncle, Aunt and their family at a delicious local Italian restaurant and enjoyed a yummy dinner.  Then, everyone came back to our house.  Some neighbors joined the party and we had each made a different dessert for everyone to sample.  We then enjoyed a “dessert potluck”, eating yummy sweets, drinking coffee and wine and playing games till midnight when we watched the ball drop, toasted with champagne then went outside to set off fireworks in our yard.  A great time!  I’m already looking forward to next year.

 

Here at the end of the night, Brian finishes off the bottle of champagne and looks like he might have had a little too much fun!

New Years Day brought us beautiful blue skies, sunshine and warm temps.  We thought, what better way to celebrate the New Year than to enjoy our favorite hike?  Yep, you guessed it!  We headed up the Heublin Tower trail on this beautiful day and enjoyed a perfect afternoon together as a family.

These two just love each other to pieces!

And these two are just a couple of really goofy girls.

Family Photo before heading back down the mtn.

Some of my New Years resolutions include eating better, moving more, getting outside as much as possible to breathe the amazing fresh air and to surround myself by as much beauty, goodness and love as I possibly can.  At the end of this day all these and more seemed possible.  To 2012, the best year yet!

A Trip to PA and OH or Christmas 4 & 5 January 11, 2012

On Monday we packed our bags and headed West to spend a few days with Brian’s mom in Western PA and his dad in Eastern OH.  Arriving at Grandma Karen’s at around 11 Monday night we were so glad to have landed and headed off to bed.  On Tuesday she had a big family get together with a special ham dinner (brian’s favorite).  It was good to see everyone and Olivia loved it too!  She got some great gifts at Grandma’s including a handmade apron, big walk on piano (like the movie Big!) and a computer with mouse!

She loved this little bear Aunt Marnie gave her.

On Wednesday afternoon we headed to OH (only about 45 min away) where we would spend 2 days at Brian’s dad’s house.  We got to see lots of folks there as well and enjoyed a nice spaghetti dinner one night and a delicious dinner out the next.  Olivia’s cousin Lila was there as well.  Lila is about 5 1/2 and was very excited for Olivia’s visit!  It had snowed the day we arrived and there was enough on the ground to play in so on Thursday we decided to go out and take a romp in it!  Pop brought out an inner tube for them to be pulled around on.  What a treat!

Olivia wore a snowsuit that was about 30 years old.  It had been worn by Brian, his siblings and stepsiblings.  She looked so cute and funny in it – reminded me of the little kid from A Christmas Story.

What would a romp in the snow be without making a few snow angels?

Olivia didn’t quite get the hang of it, but she tried!

While they enjoyed being pulled around on the tube, Brian came up with the idea to spin them around and then fling them across the driveway.  The wilder the better with these two!  They enjoyed being flung and hurled off the tube at various speeds.

I was able to get some good action shots of the spinning.  Olivia went round and round with her tongue sticking out.

Lila tried to pull Olivia herself but it proved to be a bit more difficult than anticipated.

So, they decided to get pushed down a small hill instead.

A great time was had by all!

Merry Christmas! January 10, 2012

Christmas was good to all of us this year, especially Olivia!  We’re still trying to figure out where to fit all the goodness.  Ironically, we all woke up Christmas morning and had to wait for the real star of the show, Olivia!  She was tuckered out and gave me enough time to make a yummy breakfast and let the coffee sink in.

Santa brought her a tricycle, sit and spin (I think perhaps the fav), Dora coloring book and the one thing she asked for….blocks!  It was fun to watch her go from one thing to the next, not wanting to spend too much time in one place so she could get some good play time in with all her things.

A favorite stocking stuffer.

Now this is what I call multitasking!

My other kid was happy with his loot too.

Taking a break with Mama.  She looks mildly overwhelmed.

She loved the special gift that Brian gave her – a sled he made!  A ton of time and energy went into this labor of love (including a beautiful plaid liner made by Grandma Karen) and he was so thrilled that she liked it as much as she did.  Now we just need snow!

Enjoying the wonderful easel that Mema gave her.

Even Mason got in on the action and enjoyed a Christmas bone.

After a nap we headed over to Uncle Dave and Aunt Renee’s house where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert and opened more presents with cousins and Great Gran.  A very jam packed day but also a very Merry Christmas indeed!

Feeding Reindeer January 9, 2012

On Christmas Eve we all dressed up and went out for dinner at a favorite local spot, Metro Bis in Simsbury.  We started this tradition last year and it was nice to enjoy Christmas Eve dinner in this cozy restaurant with their amazing food.  We had to convince Olivia that, for the restaurant, regular shoes would look much better with her outfit than the Elmo slippers she had gotten from Papa that morning.  We had to pry those things off her feet!

 

After dinner we headed back home where we brought out some Reindeer food that Auntie Jenna had given Olivia for Christmas.  We brought it outside and explained that if she sprinkled it on the lawn, Santa would come and his reindeer would have a snack!  To me, this was the most magical and fun part of our Christmas Eve this year, watching our little girl so enthusiastically spread the food for those reindeer.  Thank you Auntie Jenna!

Back inside we read “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, set out cookies and milk for Santa and got into our pj’s before turning in for the night.

Santa’s loot under the tree!

…and to all a goodnight!

Christmas 1 & 2 January 9, 2012

On Thursday my dad arrived from New York and my sister from Maine.  Each year we do our own little Christmas together and I make a big Italian fish dinner in honor of my grandmother who used to do it every year for us until she passed away about 2 years ago.  I always enjoy keeping her tradition alive and this little celebration that we have together.

 

 

Auntie and Livs play with some play dough while I start preparing dinner

My dad preparing the chestnuts to be roasted.  Italian tradition!

Me in the kitchen breading the fish.  Someday I WILL have more counter space!!

After a delicious dinner (thanks Mom and Jenn – you were GREAT sous chefs!!) it was time to open some presents.  Olivia loved the guitar, train and bath set she got from Papa and the ladybug ball and Dora books she got from Auntie.

On Saturday morning we had more visitors.  My aunt, uncle and cousins came over for breakfast and to open gifts with my sister.  We also had some neighbors stop by bearing gifts for Olivia and fresh cinnamon buns for us to bake on Christmas morning.  It was a fun time and a PACKED house!  The boys set up Olivia’s train set in the corner and played away while everyone else visited.

 

 

Cookie Baking and Trip Taking January 9, 2012

Bear with me as I try to catch up on all my posts from Christmas and the New Year!  It’s been a busy time for us filled with friends and family, traveling and cooking and lots of merriment making.  Too much in fact because it’s January 9th and we’re STILL tired!  Oh well, there could be much worse things in life.

The week before Christmas my mom came to spend some time with us and watch Olivia while Brian and I took an overnight trip to Newport RI – just the two of us!  We originally had planned to take a 2 night trip to NYC but I had been sick for the better part of the month so we thought something much lower key would be just the ticket.  And, it was.

Before leaving for Newport, I gave Olivia an early Christmas present – cookware!  She loves to help me in the kitchen.  In fact, one of our most favorite things to do is make pancakes for breakfast.  So, I found some little utensils that she could use along with an apron to wear.  She loved it and put it right to use baking cookies with Mema!  She even used some of my gift wrapping to style her hair.

 

 

While those two busy bees were happy in the kitchen Brian and I headed for RI where we spent a very relaxing afternoon and evening.  We toured one of the Newport Mansions, The Breakers.  It was all decked out for Christmas and very beautiful in its seaside spot.  We would have walked around some more outside but it was incredibly blustery out and we just wanted to get inside where it was warm!

 

 

We spent a quiet evening back at our hotel getting take out and a movie from RedBox.  The next morning we took a stroll down by the water and finished up some Christmas shopping downtown before grabbing some lunch and heading home.  It was just what the doctor ordered!