Christmas Cheer 2012

Christmas came and went so quickly in our house!  We had a wonderful time and the kids were so happy.  We had Marc's family over and it was a really nice visit and our little house was packed to the gills with food, fun, and family. 

I received my new camera (thanks, Marc!!!) just before Christmas and it's surely an upgrade from the last one...still working out the learning kinks.  And there are a bunch of kinks for me to learn! 

Claire and I both were given the gift of the stomach flu Christmas night, so that affected our "time off."  Marc hardly gets ANY time off, and the vacation days that he is forced into taking often fall in bewtween Christmas and New Year's.  So hopefully we can make up the time during his next vacation time.  Which will happen in 6 months.  Blech.

Here are some pictures from the big day and the days leading up to it!  We were given a healthy dose of snow and the kids have been loving it.  Jack has really enjoyed teaching Claire all about sledding and the wonders of snow.  He is such a great brother. 

so thankful

Can you beleive we are past Thanksgiving and on our way to Christmas?  Crazy!

We had Jack's first real parent-teacher conference.  We love his school, and adore his teacher.  We learned that Jack is doing very, very well and is a nice boy to have in class.  We already knew that, but it's ncie to hear from someone else!  Not a single complaint about him or his behavior, except that he is a bit silly.  But he IS only 5, you know :)  We will take it. 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are sailing into  Christmas season.  The kids are really into the holiday and it's so sweet to see the excitement and joy on their faces.  They have been playing with each other so well, and it's so sweet to see their genuine excitement for each other every day.

Here are a few Thanksgiving photos.  My camera is truly on its last leg.  A very sad sight, indeed. 

Time flies when you are having fun!

Well, we are in the swing of things.  It has been quite the adjustment gettin gup so early these days!  Our little guy has to be on the bus about an hour and a half before we even used to wake up (before Kindergarten days) so it's been quite the adjustment.

Except for Claire.  She still sleeps till 8 am.  :)  I have been making coffee at home and learning to take advantage of the hour I have between her wake up call and when Jack goes to the bus.

Think that me making my own coffee isn't blog-worthy?  It is.  You should see my outrageous Starbucks bill.  It's frightening. 

Jack is doing so well and we are so proud.  He really seems to be growing up and he changes so much every day.  It's amazing.

Claire has been taking gymnastics and LOVING it.  My hours have almost been doubled and it's a large adjustement as well.  It's great for our family, but I am still learning to be the organzied, planful mother that I {like to think} that am.  I am so fortunate to be working 80 hours a month, but still being a stay-at-home mother.  SO fortunate. 

I will admit, I have no desire to go back to work full-time ANY time soon, but I will say that while I adore my children, I often times feel lonely and isolated here at home.  It can be rough when the world around you keeps revolving and they only way you really know what's going on is by watching the news...which can be downright depressing. 

That being said, I have a wonderful community of mamas around me, both stay at home and not.  Everything sure does change when you have a baby.  In ways you never thought possible.

We have a Kindergartener!

Jack's first day in school has come and gone.  He proudly put on his uniform and I packed his bag, filled his water bottle, made his lunch, and bagged a snack. 

He trotted off to the bus while Marc and I walked with him, poor baby Claire was still asleep in her bed.  Luckily the stop isn't far from the house.  The bus finally came and he climbed the steps, turning once with teary eyes and said he didn't want to go.  We smiled and waved and wished him well.  He found a seat behind the driver and they drove away down the boulevard.

I cried like a baby.

I got to be there at the school, and after stopping for my favorite coffee, was able to see him get off the bus. 

He found his seat, greeted his teachers, and went on about his day. 

And I waited with bells on for our little big boy to get off the bus that afternoon. 

time flies!

Time sure flies when you are having fun!

We have returned home from our travels to New Hampshire.  Two very long car trips.  The kids were GREAT and didn't fuss or fight.  They laughed and played and entertained each other...sharing snacks and movies.  We played window games and napped. 

Jack and Claire got to see their cousins, Will and Gabby, and play for a few days.  They hunted for Red Efts and fished.  They swam like fishies and Jackson learned to swim, on his own, and jump off the dock!  We bought Jack's school uniforms (he is going to private school!) and bought new shoes at the best shoe store ever.  We ate the yummiest food and relaxed.  We walked the dog and explored the beach...had a few lobster rolls.  We enjoyed the summer sun and a few thunderstorms.  The kids picked out treats and headed to the library.  They learned about loons and they never fought, not even once.  They loved visiting the Friendly Farm.

Jack brought home a few more freckles and Claire is still exhausted. 

jack is on vacation!

Jack vacations in the summer.  He has a pretty good life...he spent last weekend at the lake with Marc, and Marc's mom kept him a few extra days.  I was checking in on Facebook adn this is the photo I saw. 

Jack got to visit the Kleman family farm.  Apparently he has an interest in 4-H!

Coral!

We have had extreme weather here lately!  We had a HUGE storm last Friday, that knocked out power to tens of thousands of people.  In the extreme heat we have had, it made things rough for everyone.

A local animal shelter asked people to help out some of their older cats, as they are housed upstairs in an old house.  It was SO HOT up there.

So I packed up the kids and we headed out and brought home Coral.  She was the sweetest kitty ever and the kids adored her.  Jack was very motivated to help her and was quite sad when she went back. 

Good luck finding a home Miss Coral!  The Aubrys are rooting for you!

The 4th of July

We had a wonderful 4th.  Our friends host an annual party that is awesome!  A huge tent, bounce house, icee machines, tons of food, and great company.  They host with their neighbors and the whole neighborhood (and then some!) gather and have a really fun time.  This is our second year that we have gone, and it was a ton of fun.  The fireworks are set off right over their house, and the traffic on foot or by car is always fun to watch.  Loads of people heading into town to celebrate. 

This year was the hottest - 94 degrees at 10 pm!  ugh! 

We had a ton of fun and the kids slept unti l11 today.  Glorious!

Happy 4th of July!

claire - two years.

our little claire is TWO! who can beleive it? certainly not us. it feels like yesterday that we found out she was on her way, and it feels like this morning i was arriving for c-section.

but in reality? our daughter turned two. she stood in her crib and shouted "MAMA! I TWO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and giggled her heart out. she ran into jack's room and threw open the door, shouting "HI, JACK!" and jumping up and down. she bounced on our bed and sang twinkle twinkle little star and kissed the dog. she asked for a bow in her hair and to go play in the dirt. she ate a bagel and cereal and begged me to get her brother out of bed. she helped to get herself dressed and opened the gift from her brother while he patiently waited, and he was just as excited as she when claire opened his gift. jack had picked it out himself and was beside himself with anticipation to give it to her. they hugged and exchanged nose rubs and laughed together. we went to the zoo and claire requested taco bell for lunch (gross!) and daddy joined us for a half day off work. we ate cake and ice cream and talked about dora. she napped and we went out for dinner, and went to the nature center to observe the animals...one of miss claire's favorite activities.

happy birthday to our darling daughter! you are so sweet, sensitive, spunky, and you are a spitfire. you are musical, and dramatic, love songs and knock knock jokes. you love dora the explorer and your "beebees." blankets and baby tiger are your favorite naptime accessories. you love to play in the mud, climb like a monkey, swing from your arms, and shout. you never leave the house without a "big bow" and an accessory...a purse, necklace, or bracelet. you adore your big brother and hang on every word he says. he is so loyal to you...and you know it. every time we leave the house, people stop and stare to tell us how beautiful and cute you are. everyone loves your big blue eyes, long lashes, and sweet hair. you are so shy at times, but around the right people you are downright hilarious. you are still your mama's girl, and forever loyal to your daddy. you are still so tiny, but what you lack in size, you make up for in personality. your vocabulary is absolutely astonishing and you amaze us each and every day. we love you, miss claire! we couldn't be prouder of you if we tried.

the wedding!