Happy Halloween!!

Last night we went to Burton's annual Halloween party. I don't know who was more excited - Acadia or me! I was almost in tears seeing her so happy :) It just warms my heart to see such pure joy in her face. The party started out with coloring, then we were taken on a tour through the Burton offices to get candy and we finished off with pizza and cider. I can't wait until next year's party!

Grandma P

Matt's mom came over the other night just in time for pumpkin carving. Acadia watched as daddy cut out a pumpkin face :)

Love

Swim lessons

Acadia started swim lessons a few weeks ago. Matt decided one day that he wanted to do something with Acadia, just the two of them, to spend some daddy-daughter time alone. So swim lessons it is and she loves it!! I went to her first lesson to take pictures, but since then it's been just the two of them. Matt takes her to her lesson and they go to breakfast afterwards for a special treat!






Watching her big sister swim

Ice cream for whhhaat?

A couple weeks ago I decided to invite some girls from our play group over for an "Ice cream for lunch" party. The kids went crazy with the ice cream, hot fudge, sprinkles, whipped cream and cherries! Acadia was in heaven when I told her that we were eating ice cream for lunch. Definitely some of the best memories I have of her - she was so excited!! What's better than ice cream for lunch?!

Yo-yo Ma

Acadia recently went on a sleepover to my mom's house and talked about it the whole next day. She loves, loves my mom and we are so lucky that we live in the same town and are able to see her often. Just yesterday my mom came over for a couple hours to watch the girls so I could take a nap after a rough nights sleep with Emma. There's nothing like having your mom around when you're tired and not feeling like yourself. She's the best!!

It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace. ~Christopher Morley

Potty training, Part 2

Acadia was pretty much potty trained, besides night time, before Emma arrived but totally stopped using the potty when Emma got here. I haven't wanted to push it with her, so I really haven't started potty training again until last week. Every time I would ask her if she had to use the potty (since Emma was born), she would tell me no, so I knew I had to get her excited about potty training again. I knew she was capable of it, it was just getting her interest again in it.

So I introduced Acadia's potty basket last week and it's totally working! Literally the day I brought it out, she's been going potty and has only had one accident since - including naps! I explained to her last week when I presented it to her that she had 3 choices to make after she went potty - she could choose from either: 1 chocolate chip, 1 jelly bean or a sticker. She was SO into it and has been ever since. It's pretty cute - every time she takes a few minutes to decide what her treat will be, and almost always ends up going for a jelly bean. I lay the 3 choices out for her and she stares at the prizes tapping her finger on her lips...then picks the jelly beans :)

Won't you be my neighbor?

Last night around 8:30pm, Matt and I were watching tv when the doorbell rang. We both looked at each other, confused, as we were not expecting company. I looked through our peep hole and didn't see anyone and looked out our window, but also didn't see anyone. At this point, a little nervous, Matt and I had a discussion about if I should open the door or not, least it be a crazy killer on our street or something. I opened the door quickly and shut it again, then locked it. While I was shutting our door, I saw something out of the corner of my eye - a bag...

Matt opened up the door again and saw a cute Halloween bag filled with goodies - play doh, a teething ring, a Halloween pez dispenser, a puzzle, pumpkin napkins and table cloth, stickers, cookie cutters, a monster tin:

And a note that read (click to enlarge):

We have 48 hours to return the "favor"!

Needless to say, we felt pretty silly for thinking that we were being robbed when really it was just one of our awesome neighbors!!

Poll

I snagged this from Nicole's blog...

Outside my window...Are huge, beautiful trees with red, yellow and orange leaves

I am thinking...ugg...my mind has been so cluttered lately with way too many thoughts...I think Acadia is done with croup, I want to lose my baby weight, I need to start exercising more, there are so many things I want to our house, what should I do for a living, I can't believe Emma is going to be 6 months old soon...I could go on and on!

I am thankful for...the health of my family, that we have a roof over our heads, Matt has a job, we have amazing friends and family and I have the best husband ever...

In my kitchen...is freshly made coffee

I am wearing...my red bathrobe

I am creating...a winter hat for Acadia - stay tuned for pictures in the next couple weeks!

I am going...to Cape Cod next year with our friends Ross and Lindsey, Sam, Jules and Olivia, Miche and Jimmy and of course our girls :)

I am reading...Shadow Divers for book group

I am hoping...that I make Matt as happy as he makes me

I am hearing...Emma cooing and Acadia singing and clapping

Around the house...you will find toys, laundry, piles of mail, dust and plenty of love

One of my favorite things right now...is knitting, meal planning, blogging and seeing the girls together

A few plans for the weekend...sanding and painting the downstairs, birthday party for Matt's nephew

A picture to share...a quiet moment with my daughter

10 years ago...

We took a 10 hour car ride to camp at Acadia National Park...

10 years ago...we took a chance...we risked our friendship to see if we could become more than just best friends...

10 years ago...I spent one of the best weekends ever with my very best friend...

10 years ago...I didn't know what my future held with you...

10 years ago...you literally took my breath away with our first kiss...

10 years ago...we sat by the campfire and talked the night away...

10 years ago...my world changed forever...

Happy anniversary, love...you are, as you were then, my best friend...my soul mate...and the most amazing man I have ever met...I love you more than I ever have...thank you for making me so happy each and every day...

It's just a hat

It's just a hat...but I would have never had the desire to learn to knit until you girls were born...

It's just a hat...but I want to show you that you can do anything, learn anything, create something out of nothing...and so, I needed to learn for myself so I could teach you someday...

It's just a hat...but you make me want to be a better person...be smarter than I am...more talented than I am...more creative....and so I wanted to learned how to knit...

It's just a hat...but I wanted to do something that you would be proud of...to say someday when you hand this down to your children that your mother made this for you...

It's just a hat...but for me...it's another way of saying, I love you....

Running in the rain

My friend Jo and I took the girls to an art class a couple weeks ago and took a walk downtown to get some lunch afterwards. It had just rained and, of course, there's nothing better than jumping in the puddles afterwards!

Happy anniversary

Our anniversary was a few weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to posting pics about it. Matti took me to Trattoria Delia and we had the yummiest meal. We had said no presents, but Matt never really listens to the "rules" about birthdays and anniversaries.

I have always said I regret having a guest book at our wedding instead of one of those frames you can hang on your wall so you have a picture of your wedding day with all the signatures. Well, I didn't even know it was possible but Matti took weeks learning about a program and scanning all the signatures from our guest book onto a frame for me!! I still have NO idea how it is done, but somehow he managed to do it, and it's perfect! It was the best anniversary present I could think of - I haven't mentioned my thoughts on our guest book in years and I don't know how he remembered.

Us....

Sisters

Miss Acadia June

We did something a little different this year with our photos. We did the standard shots of us as a family in similar colors, dressed nicely, but since we aren't really formal people, we asked to do some fun shots as well. So we have some shots wearing Burton clothes, some with Acadia's snowboard and some of her playing in the rain. I love the way they came out! It's nice to have the formal pics for Christmas cards, but we are more laid back and I think that came out in Melissa's pictures!

Miss Innocent


Miss BadASS!

First camping trip

We took the girls on their first camping trip a few weeks ago. It was both easier and harder than I thought it would be. Acadia was a complete pain the entire weekend so that was rough, but in general it was easier than I thought it would be. If Acadia had been in a good mood, it would have been easy!

My girls

Making her first smore

Best toy ever! We bought this glow in the dark rocket for Acadia to play with while camping - she loved it!!!