Family Picture Day

We were overdue to get our family picture taken.  The last time we hired a photographer was when Adeline was born. 

My main concern was getting the kids to cooperate.  We did not really get any good group photos out of the pictures taken when Adeline was born because Oliver was very much not in the mood.  This time, I did not want to take any chances.  So I shamelessly decided to go with a parental weapon: bribery.  Oliver LOVES Ninjagos (Lego ninjas with various techno gadgets, dragons, and "elemental powers").  So I bought him a new Ninjago set and said he could not see it, touch it, or have it until after the photos were done.  I set ground rules about participation, being a good example to his sister, and his turtles only getting to make cameo appearances.  The effectiveness of this strategy exceeded my expectations.  You would have thought he was at a Vogue modeling shoot, this kid was hamming it up and a photographer's dream.  At the end, I told him how happy I was that he did such a good job and that I knew he would have done just as good of a job even without the Ninjao reward.  To which he replied, "I know I did a great job and I was a good example for my sister.  I will keep this in mind in the future to remember how good of a job I can do.  But, actually, I would not have done this great of a job if I had not been motivated to get my new Ninjao."  So there you have it.

Here are some of the pictures, courtesy of Ninjao bribery. 

 

My Adeline Jane

After more than a month of missing out on a lot of time with the kids because of work, this weekend was more balanced.  I got to go to the orchard with the kids, play in the yard, eat dinner, and take a along Sunday walk in the afternoon with Adeline after it had rained earlier.  She was in love with her new rain boots and enjoyed splashing in the puddles and stopping to smell the flowers.  I loved every minute.

At 17 months, she is already fiercely independent and stubbornly determined, her favorite word is "myself", which is her response to just about anything you offer to help her with.  She is observant and clever.  She is also the sweetest and the most loving child.  And when she giggles, it is enough to make my heart burst.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Weather in DC was beautiful. 

 A few nights before he asked me at bedtime "who really brings the eggs?". I asked what he meant, "are you talking about the bunny?"  He responded, "I mean who wears the bunny costume and hides the eggs, I know it's not a rabbit, but who is it??"  I told him I did not know and maybe it's a disguise and he doesn't want anyone to know.  He seemed ok with that response.

For once, I tried to avoid the last minute rush so I ordered Easter basket gifts the week before.  They all came on the same day in a large box.  To my surprise, I got a text from Sheryl apologizing saying she let the kids open the box and then realized they were probably Easter gifts.  So when Oliver inquired about the items, I told him they were for his Easter basket from us, but suggested that we are not responsible for the egg delivery.

Oliver woke up early, ready to find eggs.  He had to wait for Adeline to go hunting.  When she finally woke they both set out.  She figured out the game pretty quickly.  

We made it to church and brunch after.  My mom and Meghan were both in town.  The kids loves playing with Nana (Adeline was saying her name by the end of the first day). It was a wonderful Easter at Rittenhouse.

Big Brother

We took the kids to the pool.  Afterward, we walked a couple blocks to get dinner.    I was walking hand-in-hand with Oliver.  As we walked, our independent Adeline refused to take Joe's hand and instead insisted on holding Oliver's other hand.  And so they walked the whole way to dinner.  A pretty sweet walk.

C'est la vie

First, I did not realize I have not posted anything since Adeline's birthday!  But, I will catch up with some pictures from the past couple months in a separate post. 

This post was intended to share that despite a little disappointment about canceling our trip to Paris (a surprise anniversary/birthday gift from Joe), I loved how special Joe, Meghan, Oliver and Adeline made my birthday celebration.

Oliver came down with a stomach virus (with an initial hospital visit for an appendicitis scare) the day before our flight.  He was in pretty bad shape for 24 hours, so we canceled our trip the night before because we were worried about him and the possibility that Adeline or one of us might get sick next.  Turns out Oliver was fine the next morning (the day of our almost flight) and so far no one else has gotten sick...C'est la vie.

I came home from work on my birthday to a room full of balloons and decorations, a wonderful dinner prepared, and our gang excited to celebrate my day.  I felt very loved.  There was a bit of a post-party/cupcake sugar crash before bed.  But, we took that to be a sign of a good party.

Hopefully, our next attempt at Paris (tbd) will be seamless.  In the meantime, I am planning to enjoy a nice weekend with the kids and Joe. 

 

Adeline is One Year Old!

Adeline turned one year old today.  She is friendly, feisty, loving, daring, and independent.  She is not only walking, she is running.  She says a handful of works, e.g., Dada, Mama, duck, cat, Oliver, moo (for cow), and roar (for lion).  Though she says a number of other things that I think she thinks we should understand.  She can identify all her major body parts, follows instructions, can identify almost any animal, and likes to color with crayons.  Her favorite activities are Walking/Running, Dancing, Legos, Magnatiles, and Books.  When Oliver is around, she wants to do whatever he is doing. She loves to be near him, but she has learned how to grab and run to avoid him snatching his toys back.  Even when Oliver is not around, she loves to play in his room during the day and sneak in some time with his Myrtle turtle when he is not here to stop her.  At night, she snuggles her muslin blanket(s).  She balls it up and makes a pillow that she lays on.  She always sleeps on her tummy.  She is a good eater.  She is eating a lot of regular foods now, but still loves her puffs and baby cracker snacks.  She is still taking bottles in the morning after breakfast, in the afternoon, and before bed.  She loves people and will smile and talk to anyone who she deems friendly.  However, she sometimes gets frightened by men especially if they have a low voice.

She was the sweetest baby; she is now the sweetest toddler/girl.  Joe, Oliver and I celebrated her birthday at home today.  She loved all the FaceTime with family and friends.  Her first cake was vanilla buttercream (picked for her by Oliver), and she loved it.

Happy Birthday, our sweet Adeline.