Two

I just cannot believe my baby is two. Everybody tells you it goes fast and yet it still surprises me. So what's William like at two years old?

- He's talking in 3-4 word phrases. Popular ones include "I did it!," "I hold it," and "I no want to."

- He loves all things Thomas. He is also obsessed with pointing out every single digger and dump truck we pass, and has just discovered the "digger driver." I think it's safe to say he knows what he wants to be when he grows up.

- He loves to be outside. He is Mr. Independent at the park, running around with the kids, playing in the sandbox, kicking a ball. He loves to be in the middle of all the action.

- I'm afraid to say it and jinx myself, but he is remarkably sweet, happy, and easy to please. We all genuinely enjoy having him around. I love having him all to myself the three mornings a week that Caroline is at preschool. He is truly such a joy in our lives.

- On the other hand, he has thrown some MAJOR inexplicable fits lately. Boy is it frustrating.

- He hates circle time at his little gym class. Unlike his big sister who breathlessly watched every move her teacher made at this age, William wants nothing to do with participating. He just wants to run and play.

- Also unlike the Big Sister, he wants absolutely nothing to do with the potty. All Caroline wanted for her 2nd birthday was big girl underwear; William will not even tolerate the thought of sitting on the potty. Fine by me - I have no desire to potty train any time soon. :)

- He loves his friends. Particularly the kids his age or the big boys a year or so older. And he follows "Sissy" around like a little puppy and will do just about anything she tells him to.

- He hasn't seen much tv, but he loves Curious George and the Thomas show. His favorite songs (this week) are Itsy Bitsy Spider and 5 Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. He adores Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and any book about trucks.

- He is a total mama's boy, but absolutely adores his Daddy. He is very snugly, but has already started telling me "no kissies." Sniff.

-He is our sweet baby boy, and I'm not letting him grow up no matter what the calendar says. I love you with all of my heart, little man.

Happy Birthday To William!

Yep, he's two. We had a wonderful day. More details to come, but for now, just a few pictures.

The Thomas cake...


I just like this one for some reason...



William's new bike! Every time he sees it he screams, "William's bike!" like he just can't believe it belongs to him...

10 On Tuesday

Hello??? Is anybody still checking this blog? Wow, it's been a long time. I guess we've been busy this last month - here's my list of excuses. . . .

1. We visited Steve's parents at their beautiful home in South Carolina. I had grand plans for taking lots of pictures, but instead spent most of my time drinking tea and reading by the fire in a cozy chair. Does it count if I post some pictures from other visits?

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5. I served on the committee that ran a large fundraiser for Caroline's preschool. It was a huge success, and we raised more than $10,000! It did, however, use up most of my computer time for about 3 weeks since I was in charge of coordinating all of the volunteers.

6. Caroline has officially discovered boys. She has two boyfriends and has been to play dates at their homes. And these are not just friends who happen to be boys. She spends a lot of time trying to decide which one to marry and commenting about how handsome they are. Both are equally enamored with my daughter. Sigh. Double sigh.

7. William will turn TWO in 5 days. I can.not.believe.it.

8. My mom came for a visit! As usual, we ate too much, shopped too much, and my kids acted like I didn't exist. And, as usual, I'm missing her like crazy now that she's gone.

9. I had a birthday. I didn't feel very well that day, but I did get a new lens for my camera. Here's the one (I know, sad) picture I've taken with it so far (unedited - I've been reeaallly unmotivated in the photography department lately).

10. We have turned the corner from winter to spring in Massachusetts. The grass is turning green, we're starting to see flowers, and green buds are just forming on the trees. The Clark kids are spending their days at the park with friends, and that's just the way we like it!

She's Got The Olympic Spirit...

Here's the future of US Skiing - Moguls gold medal champion, 2026?

Chinese New Year

I love food and I love to cook, so I try to honor lots of world holidays with my cooking. For example, I always make latkes at Hanukkah, corned beef and cabbage at St. Patrick's Day, and some variety of Asian-esque food for Chinese New Year. It's fun, we always look forward to having the special foods, and I hope it teaches the kids something about respecting cultures all around the world.

Caroline and I made these adorable "fortune cookies" yesterday, and I was so pleased with how they turned out that I had to share them. Cute, easy, and yummy, a great combination!

For dinner we had Cooking Light's Shrimp and Cilantro Fried Rice and Pot Stickers. Neither were home runs, but we all enjoyed the meal.

My food photography is terrible, but you get the idea...



Next up: Jambalaya for Fat Tuesday tomorrow night!

Happy Heart Day!

We wrote, we stamped, we glued, we accessorized. We made some very homemade valentines for Caroline's preschool party!

Happy Valentine's Day!

In Honor Of the Olympics...

...The Clark Family Bobsled Team!

These two have been such buddies lately. It is so sweet. :)

And FYI, I think they were actually playing "escape to Austria" here. I'm allowed a little artistic liberty on my own blog, right?