Being outside

Spring has finally sprung around here and it's awesome. Now, if I could just bottle these temperatures and bring them out when it's stinking hot this summer. In any case, these kids are just loving being outside and I love how independent they are when we're out there. I can sit with a book while the kids chase balls, collect tree sap, and stare/bark at neighborhood dogs. I put down my book when it's time for chasing and ring-around-the-rosie. Mark nearly hyperventilates from excitement over those activities. I'll try to get a video sometime; it's too cute.


A boy and his ball; still his #1 obsession

Gianna loves playing ball too

Posing in a tree

I love this picture of her. It's very Gianna

Easter

We went to Virginia to see Nonna and Pop-pop for Easter and to return Julia to her family. The kids enjoyed playing with Julia's brothers and really loved egg hunts!

Gianna loved sliding with Rocco

The one name Mark could say, "Joe"

In LOVE with her new Tangled DVD

And she had to start playing with the Tangled "guys" right away

Hanging out with Nonna

Egg hunt! "There's one!"

She loved it!

"Hey! How did she get so many?"

And here's quite a long video of our egg hunt. Don't feel like you have to watch the whole thing :)

Spring break!

Okay, so I was really worried what I was going to do with both kids all week while Gianna was on spring break. But then Doug had the genius idea to invite his cousin Julia to come up and visit us for the week while she was on spring break. What a blessing that she wanted to come! We tried to do some fun things despite a lack of spring time weather, but mostly she was an awesome playmate for the kids at home and a HUGE help to me. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera for all the fun things we did: a couple of local egg hunts in the freezing cold, a trip to the Please Touch Museum (with everyone in a 50 mile radius, I'm guessing), and Doug took Julia to the Cake Boss in Jersey City. We had a really good time with her. The kids just adored her. Gianna wanted to play with her every waking moment and Mark asked for "Juuuu?" every time he woke up. So cute! I know they wore her out a bit, but I hope she had a fun time too!

Mark showed Julia his awesome, if disgusting, spaghetti-eating

Aunt Jenny's wedding

We all know what happens at a wedding right? I'll spare you all the details and just provide captions for the pictures (they're not in order). But I'll also say that we had a marvelous time and we're so happy for Aunt Jenny and Uncle Steve! We were so glad to be part of their special day!

Gianna and me before the rehearsal

Gianna and Bella doing their "I love the wedding" song and dance for the bride

Getting her hair did

SO excited about their flowers

"Cheese!"

Me and my little man at the cocktail hour

Mark all ready to go at Grandma and Grandpa's

Family photo #1

Family photo #2

Catching up

At the end of March we celebrated Gianna's half birthday. Can't believe she's 3 1/2 already! She gets almost excited for half birthdays as regular ones. I guess any opportunity for cake (i.e. icing...that's my girl!) is reason enough to get excited.



And so as not to leave Mark out. Here he is eating...er, inhaling....a banana.

Weekend away

This first picture has nothing to do with the rest of the post. Just a funny picture of Mark in Gianna's Ariel sunglasses!

Now, on to the weekend events. On Saturday morning, we met Doug's brother and his family at the Crayola Factory. It was an awesome place! There was so much to do and take home. You could definitely spend a lot of time there. Especially with crafty kids like ours! This is a cool little tunnel where you can write on the walls. Mark didn't much care whether his marker had a cap on it or not.


After a fun morning there, we went on to Doug's brother's house. We haven't seen each other since before Christmas and Gianna and Isabella have been begging their moms to play again. Boy did they have a great time!

Gianna is finally getting more comfortable playing with other kids. We hardly had to intervene in their play at all. It was great to have lots of adult conversation while the kids entertained each other. Mark and Jack were there too, but I didn't get any evidence of it!

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's day was full of green and Irish-y things. Here's Gianna all decked out and eating her green applesauce and green juice from green dishes with green utensils. (She wouldn't eat things that were naturally green, naturally.)

I promise you, Mark begged me to put this on him, despite the expression on his face. And I also promise myself that he will be very upset with me for this one day.

While these pictures seem un-noteworthy, they are in fact momentous because of Gianna's attire. This is Gianna wearing (gasp!) jeans! This is the first time since she was one. She doesn't like buttons on any article of clothing, but I suggested that jeans were good for climbing trees (and big kids wear them) and after destroying a pair of leggings on the tree below, she put them on! AND...she's worn them since then too! It's a St. Patrick's miracle.