A few months to catch up on...

My apologies for a lack of posts...No excuses. We sure have had a busy few months, so let's just get right to it. It's all about the kids, of course!

In November, Aunt Mary, Uncle Gregg, Jack & Kate flew out to have a 2nd TG & it was so beautiful to see the cousins together! Wish we lived closer...

In December, we went Christmas Tree shopping (we went looking for a farm, but it was really just someone's backyard...weird, but it worked for us) and decorated the tree. Notice that Xavier took the tree "farm" picture b/c the girls are almost (haha, not really almost, but they're getting there) as tall as I am, so I do not tower over them like he does now!

And of course we had to get the required picture with Santa...No offense is intended here, but . . . dude - he was scary.

They had a train ride there so the girls recovered from the trauma of sitting on "Santa's" lap.

I promise I won't ever make them do that again.

On another note, Ava & Sofia decided that they wanted to sleep in the same bed for a little while. I had to take pictures because they look like such beautiful angels when they are sleeping. I think Sofia sensed the flash or something b/c her brow became a little furrowed...

December also brought us our first snowstorm,

But then, as usual with Southern New England weather, the snow melted so of course the girls had to get on their trikes & ride because they were born to be wild.

And then it got even warmer so we went to our favorite big beach that we don't swim at.



And then, this being Southern New England - you guessed it - it snowed again & this time A LOT more than last time. I shoveled the end of the driveway at 10pm that night so Chef Daddy could drive in the driveway (we have a truck, but I don't know if it could have made it over the 4 foot piles the snowplow made - although I know he would have had a lot of fun trying...). I didn't take a picture of what I was shoveling, but I thought our front door looked really pretty, so there it is.

The next day Chef Daddy (using his ingenious creativity) made our little hill bigger with the slide so the girls could sled & they had a blast!

In other news, unfortunately Bella started showing even worse side effects of prednisone & her skin started calcifying...We are now walking a fine line between lowering the dose to get her skin better, but keeping it high enough so her body can still make platelets. She is definitely showing her age with the "walk & plop" but other than that she is still an angel and still seems to be enjoying life.

Christmas was a lot of fun and the girls enjoyed Christmas morning at home & the day at Nonni's. I have not been taking many pictures, though, so don't have much!

The best gifts from Christmas (besides the Leapsters, of course) were the decorate your own mugs. Those mugs got a lot of use in January - mmmmm hot chocolate!

Finally, February! We went up to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year Parade & it was awesome! The girls loved seeing the Dragons dance & the Lions take the offerings from the stores.

(there's Grandma in the red pants having a blast, too :o) )

And the best part, Chef Daddy caught the lucky orange from the Lion's mouth...One handed...With Ava in his arms!! He is my hero :o) It is sitting on our back door step (the door we use most often) & is bringing us good luck for the year.

Truth be told, I think Ava & Sofia's favorite part was going to choose some Chinese pastries to bring home...

One last picture - they were playing outside after another snowfall & they are getting so independent that instead of coming running to me when Sofia's boot fell off, Ava tried to help her sister get it back on. They are so adorable together & I am loving watching them grow.

Another birthday message...

Happy Birthdays Grandma & (not really a baby anymore) Jack!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Gregg!!!!

Take One:


Take Two:


Take Three:

Okay...so I've learned a couple things filming these videos...First, Ava & Sofia really like to sing in front of the camera & then see what they look like! Second, and perhaps most important, it's really important not to be a perfectionist when you've got two crazy & fun 5 year olds...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE GREGG!!

Halloween, leaves & a snake...yes, a snake.

Let's see . . . lots of pictures to post for you all. First, I will show you what Ava & Sofia were for Halloween. In an attempt to save money this year, we pulled out their old costumes - the elephants, Uniqua & Pablo from the Backyardigans & puppy dogs...They both wanted to be puppy dogs & no one wanted to be the elephants b/c they had fat bellies!


(Bella was a wizard. This is the costume I made back in 2000 when I had a lot of time on my hands . . . She only wore it for about 5 minutes - long enough for the picture. She's elderly & shouldn't have to put up with costumes anymore - even though she is really cute.)

So, as you can see, the puppy costume is a tiny bit small. I did all I could to try to convince both of them not to be the puppy. Ava finally agreed not to be a puppy dog, but Sofia would not budge!! She insisted the costume was fine & fit perfectly!!

So here's a picture of how they looked from behind.
Perfect fit? At least they were both happy!

P.S. Weird house we went to. The sign tells the trick or treaters to go to the house in the back after they get candy "her"












They got a lot of candy & wanted to eat it all that night, but we put aside a few pieces for them to eat over the next few days & Chef G took the rest to work (okay, okay, not all of the rest - we put aside some for us, too) & luckily the girls haven't asked for more!

We did some raking last weekend, too, but that was a fruitless endeavor. It was a lot of fun for the girls . . .

. . . and it looked all nice & clean after we were done.

BUT - the big but came the next morning & we looked outside & saw the yard carpeted in leaves again!

We do love our old trees but boy do we have to rake a lot when autumn comes.

One other thing we did this October - We went to a local corn maze & got pretty lost! And the girls & I got to go on a hayride. The boys stayed back b/c it was too costly for all of us to get jostled around in a wagon!

Oh - and of course we all went to vote on November 4th. Sofia & Ava are celebrating our right to vote with white chocolate dinosaur pops.

Whoa! I almost forgot the best thing we found on our walk the other day -- NOT!! Thank heavens that Chef Daddy was with us because I would have freaked the frick out if I were alone with the girls & we saw this.

I did my best to restrain myself when they said they wanted to touch it. Then when they said they wanted to hold it I almost lost it. I did hold it together long enough to take this picture. They loved the picture & brought it to school to show their teacher & all their friends. I'm glad I have brave daughters!!

Of pumpkins . . . and squirrels.

Ava & Sofia had so much fun scooping the guts out of their pumpkins this past weekend.


I grabbed the camera & got some pictures of them scooping. After they scooped they drew pictures of how they wanted their pumpkin faces carved.

Then it was my turn & I carved out the faces they had drawn...Well, in a perfect world I carved out the faces they had drawn. In our world I tried really hard to follow their lines & the pumpkins came out looking like jack o'lanterns so the girls were happy.

By then it was snack time so we brought the pumpkins inside so Daddy could see them that night when he got home. I totally forgot to take pictures. I lived to regret that memory lapse because a few days later I had to put them outside on the deck.

I had no idea what bold & pesky *#%! squirrels we have. He knocked Ava's right off the railing & went to town. He wouldn't even leave it when I was less than 3 feet away from him!! I had to make that ridiculous "scat" noise to get him to run away! And then he went into his tree & stared me down as I cleaned it up.

Ava & Sofia thought it was hilarious so luckily we didn't have any tears. They decided that the squirrel who ate Ava's pumpkin was just like those mean squirrels in Miss Suzy who kicked the nice squirrel named Miss Suzy out of her beautiful treehouse & trashed her place. For those of you who have never read Miss Suzy, she ends up befriending some brave toy soldiers & they all go back & kick those mean squirrels out of Miss Suzy's house & she lives happily ever after back in her beautiful treehouse. The end.

Speaking of outfits . . .

Ava & Sofia's latest & greatest . . .

Hair today . . . gone tomorrow!

Hair today . . .

Gone tomorrow!!

I didn't think they could get cuter, but they did! And, the bonus is that there was not one scream this morning when I brushed their hair!! We love the new haircuts!! (Ava in yellow, Sofia in blue)

P.S. They still love their Lenny & Joe's shirts but since it's cold they have to wear long sleeve shirts under them. Ava wanted to take it a step further, though. She still wants to wear shorts & thinks it will be okay b/c she can put pants under her shorts just like long sleeves under a short sleeve shirt. I really am quite lenient when it comes to choosing clothes - BUT - there are lines even I cannot let them cross!!!!