Dear Daddy,

Here I am getting ready for my preschool open house. I know you were sad to miss it today, and I missed you, too. I know you check your blackberry all day long to see what we are up to when you are gone, so this picture is just for you! I had a lot of fun and met all my new friends. I was shy at first, but then I played and played and played. I love you and and can't wait to see you when you get home.

Love,

Caroline

P.S. Not very many daddies were there, so don't feel too bad. :)

Shh - The Babies Are Sleeping

A couple of weeks ago, we were having major problems when I was putting William down for naps. He's finally reached that stage where it needs to be quiet and calm to go to sleep, and Caroline was having a really hard time entertaining herself while I was getting him settled. The last few days, however, she has been quietly playing in her room. When I go to find her after William is in his crib, she has a line of dollies laying on pillows or in her doll crib, and she's usually cradling one in her arms and saying "sh sh sh." When she sees me she'll whisper that I need to be quiet so her babies can sleep, and then she comes out of her room, says "have a happy nappy," and closes the door. It's pretty cute. Isn't it amazing how kids can drive you crazy one week, and then completely melt your heart the next? Two-year-olds. Gotta love 'em.

The Post In Which I Practice My Hyperlinks

I'm super excited because I just got my reusable produce bags from Etsy. Megan inspired me to try them after Erin's post on being green. Basically the idea is that instead of using the little plastic bags to gather your fruits and veggies at the grocery store, you bring your own reusable nylon bags, just like so many of us are now bringing our own shopping bags. And even though I don't do the "big" grocery run each week anymore, I still go at least once a week to re-stock on produce (holy cats, Caroline eats a lot of fruit) so these will be perfect!

On a related note, have you visited Etsy yet? It is an incredible website devoted to buying and selling handmade items, and I'm obsessed. I think J.J. is the one who discovered it for us. If you go, be sure to visit Meghan (Erin's sister, and very talented fashion designer) and Liz's stores.

P.S. I FINALLY got J.J.'s blog to link on my sidebar! Hooray! Everyone who doesn't already know her go say hi.

Our Tiny Stalker

Here's how Caroline spends a major portion of her days:

Sitting on the front steps, waiting for "the big girls," our first and sixth grade neighbors, to come outside. Oh, how she loves them. And bless their hearts, they are so sweet and friendly to her. They always say hi, and frequently come over and play with her. Those are her happiest days. She is sooooo ready for preschool.

Mr. Destructor

Guess who is 5 months old today? Guess who thinks knocking down his playmat is great fun? Every time I put him down to play, he manages to wiggle himself around until he can aim his little feet at the bars, and then he kicks and kicks until it collapses on him. And he's real proud of himself for it, too.



Happy 5 months, baby. Next month you get what you really want: food.

The Pink Paradise

Caroline's big girl room is pretty cute. We spent a lot of time working on it, and I think it turned out as a perfect little girl haven, filled with pink, flowers, dolls, and all things girlie. But here's the secret: William is the kid who likes it best. In fact, he likes anything and everything to do with his big sister these days. Put him on the rug in her room, even when he's crabby, and you are guaranteed at least 10 minutes of happy, content baby. I think it's because he knows it's her space, and there's a better than average chance of big sister giving him some attention. Here they are, playing together this morning. I think William looks good in pink, don't you?

Playgroup BBQ

Right before we went home, I was feeling great about living in Boston. I like my friends, my town, our routine. Some of the annoying, er charming, things about New England had even started to grow on me. And then I went home and spent gobs of time with my family and the homesickness started right back up again. The drive-thru Starbucks and Targets on every block alone made me want to move home. Fortunately, we had our playgroup family BBQ to look forward to on Saturday afternoon, and it was a wonderful reminder of everything that we have here. Caroline and I joined this group about 2 weeks before William was born, and we are so lucky to have these moms and kids in our lives. They are just about the nicest, most fun, easy-to-get-along-with group ever. We had so much fun meeting many of the daddies for the first time on Saturday. Not surprisingly, they were just as nice as their wives and children, and it was so much fun having all the families together. Thanks for hosting, Sara, Jeff, and Leo!

Once again, I forgot my camera and Lisa came to my rescue by sharing her shots. She's threatening to start charging. I think she should just start her own blog!

In case anybody is wondering, William is a taken man. That little girl in the above shot is completely in love with him - the minute she sees him, she insists that I put him down so she can cover him in kisses. Lucky little man.

PS: We love you, Sarah, Leah, and Noah. Nothing could replace the memories of our "original" playgroup.