I bought a kite for Noah on a recent trip to Target.  He was so excited to try it out.  Everyday he would tell us it was windy out and we should go fly his new kite.  Well, one day it finally was windy so we packed everyone up and headed to the park.  We loaded for bear – the diaper bag, the camera bag, drinks, Noah, Kate, the sun tent, the sunscreen, a blanket, the stroller…. it was an ordeal.  We cracked out the kite and at first things were going very well -

Walter showed Noah how it worked.

Kate and I hung out in the tent and watched.

Noah didn’t want to hold the kite.  So he came over to Kate and I, about 5 minutes after we arrived.

To tell us he was all done.

Kate was the only one who thought it was funny.

Noah was mad that we didn’t all hop up and go to the playground, as he suggested.  We made him wait another 5 minutes while we packed up.  As tempted as we are to throw the kite in the trash I’m sure he’ll enjoy it – some day.

We found out about a strawberry farm in Delray and decided to check it out.  We were quite impressed with the place and had a great time!  “The Girls” is off of Military Trail just north of Atlantic Avenue and it’s so much more than a strawberry U-pick.  Noah (and Kate) plucked a basket full of the freshest berries but also got to see hundreds of plant species, fruits and vegetables, farm animals, fountains, gorgeous birds, and a shop full of the most amazing jarred everythings and local foods and finds.  We were lucky to get cool weather and I’m not sure how long I would last in this heat but it was definitely worthwhile.  The fresh vegetables were better priced than at the grocery store, although the strawberries were a different story!

It was nice that you didn’t have to bend to pick, if you didn’t want to -

I don’t know why Noah’s shirt was coming off!  Kate looks confused about it too!

I’m not joking when I say they had strawberry everything!

Walter found a bird that shared his name.  He loved the sign!

Walter and I were really hoping to get Noah back to Disney now that he’s a bit older and really into Mickey Mouse.  Our last visit was a bit of a disaster and no one enjoyed it.  A great opportunity (excuse) came knocking on our door and we couldn’t pass it up – The Brady’s were Disney bound!  Kimmie, Kelly and the twins (Sydney and Peyton) moved to DC a year ago and we miss them terribly so there was no question that we had to make this work, and we did!

We were very ambitious and decided to go up and back in one day.  Kate stayed with my mom since she’s still not a fan of the great outdoors – or crowds, or car rides, or eating on the run.  We went up super early and met the Brady clan at their hotel, The Polynesian.  The girls lei’d us but I’m pretty sire Sydney ended up wearing everyone’s petals.

Syd on the monorail

The barbershop was our first stop.  Noah needed a haircut (we were having family photos the next day) and the cuts at Disney are quite the experience.  Of course he wasn’t thrilled but like a good kid he put up with my request.

He even let the guy put sparkles all over him.  Someone commented that Tinker Bell must be spitting up again.  Noah got a box of chewy Gobstoppers at the confectionery for his tolerance.  He wasn’t sharing those with anyone!

Here we are at the castle now -                                            and before.  Noah still hates the camera lady!

Noah’s first ride was Buzz Lightyear.  He loved it!  Even waiting in line was fun!

You basically ride around in your cart and shoot at targets.  Noah was our navigator (to ensure motion sickness to all!)

There was no way I was getting on those teacups, they make me so ill!  Luckily Walter and Kimmie agreed to take the kids.

It was a gorgeous day!  It wasn’t very crowded either.  Wednesday is the day to go!

Everyone on the carousel!

Then we headed to “It’s A Small World”.  I’m not sure what the lure is there but the kids loved it!

The Brady’s went back for a nap but we stayed.  Noah had to see the parade!  He loved all the characters!

And then a past wedding couple came to visit!  Victoria and Irwin live in Orlando and they recently had a baby, Jake.  We were very lucky that they were able to pay us a visit!  Isn’t Jake gorgeous!? 

I haven’t seen them since their wedding (photo courtesy of Focused on Forever) and I have never seen them happier!

After the character performance we went back to the Brady’s hotel.  Back in the day my sister, Lindy, made them dresses for their first birthday.  She wanted to see how they worked as shirts so although the lighting was quite unfortunate we got some fun photos and the kids had fun running around.

Here are the girls when they first got the dresses -

And now -

The whole Brady Bunch

“Look!  Here’s how you get out of this thing!”

Sydney had quite a crush on Noah all day so we let them go for a romantic stroll under the moonlight.  Rest assured, it turned into a healthy game of “Boo!” very quickly.

After the kids ran out of steam the Brady’s treated us to dinner at their hotel.  It was the Disney version of Chima and the bread pudding was to die for – really!  We headed home after dinner, around 10pm.  If I had it to do over I would have either stayed over or left after the fireworks (at 7pm).  It was a very tough drive home but so worth it for the time we got to spend with our good friends.  Hopefully we can get together before another year has passed!

Since I’m only averaging one post each week I might as well share the rest of our “Family Fun Days” with you.  Below are some highlights of the rest of Walter’s time off. His first week back to work went pretty well.  Noah was sad after one nap in particular when Walter wasn’t here but we kept busy and managed to keep his mind off of it.  We also had a house guest (more in a later post) which gave him something new to enjoy.

Here we are on a play date with our friends Beth and Aaron.  We see them at least once a week and really enjoy their company. 

Noah, Kate and me on the carousel -

Noah has been a bench rider for the past several months but once again ventured onto the horses.  Two year olds are so weird.  And this one is so in love with his Daddy!

And another day we went to “Apoe and Agoon’s” Farm (Walter’s parents).  Noah loved it!  He checked everything out and did an amazing job supervising the work.  Kate on the other hand decided she’s not one for the great outdoors.  She complained the entire time, couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t figure out why anyone would go there voluntarily.

We, of course, post only the happy photos though so everyone thinks our kids are angels.  Just kidding.  We did work really hard for these smiles though so I have to share them!

Noah hunting oranges -

This is a tangelo orange.  You can’t do this with all oranges but if you peel the skin and cut the top off you have instant orange juice, there is none fresher.  You just squeeze the orange together and drink, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat.  I felt very outdoorsy doing this!

Here is Noah washing his hands -

It was a gorgeous day!

And here is a panoramic photo of the farm.  With such limited space here you can’t enjoy the full size photo but you get the idea.  Claire and Herbie work very hard growing all kinds of fruits and vegetables and have for years.  While it’s not my cup of tea I give them a lot of credit!  It really is a labor of love!

And then to torture Kate even more we went down the road to Lion Country Safari.  She didn’t like this place much better, the bugs were just a little smaller.  We did the drive through, which we haven’t done in over a year because Noah has never enjoyed it.  Well I think he’s finally old enough to appreciate the giant animals and interesting sights.  He really loved it.  We also did the water park (the only one open in January) but didn’t get any photos of it. 

Noah kept saying – “I want the rions to go ROARRRR!”  I love that kid!

And he was fascinated by the zebras!

If you look closely you can see the baby white rhino under the mom.  He was soooo cute!  There were also two giraffe babies but their photo didn’t come out so well.

On a more somber note, one of the reasons I’ve been so slack in blogging is my Dad.  He gave us quite a scare this week.  We’re not sure why but he experienced a seizure and brain bleed.  He’s still in ICU being poked and prodded and at the moment all of the doctors can only scratch their heads and wonder what happened and what should happen next.  I’d like to give a little public love to my sister, Nikki, who happened to stop by the house when my dad was home alone and all of this started.  Had she not we’re not sure this story would have ended as good as it has.

Here’s my Dad -

He is the most amazing cook!  This is him cooking Thanksgiving dinner in 2007. 

And here is the moment we realized we don’t take nearly enough photos of him.  Because – well, that’s Noah.

And so is this.

And here’s a real oldie, unfortunately I’m not omitting much in between -

Kate turned 3 months old on the 22nd and we celebrate the occasion (naturally) with a photo shoot.  She’s a big girl, tipping the scales at 15 pounds, but a very happy baby.  She’s gotten really good at controlling her head and she pulled up completely on her belly for the first time the other night.  She’s a little lazy when it comes to physical activity but I would be too if my thighs looked like hers, oh wait they do – and I am!

Here are some photos from the shoot -

So happy!  The second photo should have the caption – “Call me!”

And for a kid who hates having his photo taken he sure is around anytime is sister is having hers done!

Unfortunately for Kate she inherited my horrible feet and toes -

I love this picture because it reminds me of some of my favorites of Noah (he was 4 months) -

Still think they look alike?

This is her “talking”, she’s very vocal and social lately -

And this is my favorite photo from the day.  She’s so beautiful (a touch biased, maybe)!

Unfortunately she’s starting to lose some hair so the bow may need a break but I found a cute headband (not garter belt, don’t worry) to ward off all the boy comments.

We also went to the Delray Christmas Parade (as we do EVERY year) around this time but don’t have enough photos to give them their own post, sorry for the blog sandwich -

Here’s the reason I even brought up the parade, believe it or not there are a few things that go on in our lives I don’t post about.  Noah was so excited this year for the parade and I love that I caught it in this photo -

He loved the lights, the bands, the dancers, the floats, and as usual – hated that I brought the camera.

Kate slept through 99% of the parade.  When she woke up she wanted to eat.  I can’t believe fire trucks and marching bands don’t phase her.  I guess all the practice of sleeping through her brother does the trick.

Noah has a flashing red nose too but my camera battery died before I could get a photo with both.  Since we’re being nostalgic I’ll also show the last time he wore antlers -

We’re such party animals!  The kids were in bed by 8pm and we played video games (with the Dick Clark-less New Year’s Eve show on in the background) until just before midnight, which is when I logged on to wish you a very healthy and happy New Year!  If I play my cards right I’ll be in bed soon but I wanted to share some of our “family fun days” from Walter’s vacation with you.  We did something almost every day and enjoyed his time off thoroughly.  I’m really dreading Monday when reality moves back in!

Why I thought Walter wanted to check out all the new shopping centers is beyond me.  I took him anyway and as long as I fed him he put up with my window shopping.  Our first trip was to the Pembroke Pines Shopping Center which is phenominal!  It’s an outdoor mall with a lot to see.  We had a blast and the weather was perfect!

We ate at the Pub where all the staff (ALL of the staff) wore kilts.  The food was great, the beer was incredible and the outdoor seating really made dining with a two year old a lot easier.  Kate, as usual, slept through the whole experience.

Here Walter and Noah are playing “guess what letter I’m drawing on your back!” – one of their faves!

We both got the fish and chips and the three of us polished the plates completely.  My friend Beth has tried the fried pickle here and said it’s divine!  Maybe next time!

And this is what that wonderful two year old does with ketchup.  He eats it.  Not with his food, with his finger.  He eats it.  Gross.

The area was beautifully decorated for the holidays -

Noah has always loved waterfalls and fountains.  You may remember the very anticlimatic trip to Niagara Falls.  Since then we’ve discovered that these little guys do the trick just fine!

Christmas Eve was awesome!  Although I was at the end of my rope, ready to drop the kids off at the fire station, I pulled it together and we all went to church.  I knew it would be past their bedtime and I looked horrible, not even putting on makeup and only managing to get my hair in a ponytail but it was what it was and I needed something to get me in the spirit.  Our church always has a beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service and this year was no different.  The choir was amazing and the hymns did the trick.  What a magical night!  Here are some photos Walter managed to get in the low light.

Noah made himself right at home as soon as we got there, lounging on the pews. 

Nikki, Julia and my mom came.  Thank God for extra hands to hold the baby!  Everyone always asks where Kate gets her amazingly long fingers from.  Do you see my sister’s?

Tom Lacey is our favorite Pastor.  He “remarried” us and baptized Noah.  He’ll be baptizing Kate very soon.

Isn’t our church gorgeous!?

Anyone who knows Noah knows he loves fire.  This was his favorite service so far!

But he was very antsy and very tired.

And Kate was just tired.  She finally gave in and napped on Grammy’s lap.

And when we got home we bathed Noah and put him in Christmas pj’s – a tradition in my family.  Isn’t he too cute?  I believe this may also be our only photo of the tree, which is already down.

I know, it’s not very politically correct to wish anyone a Merry Christmas these days but that’s what we celebrate and I’m taking it upon myself to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!  I do also wish great things for those celebrating other holidays, we even went to a Hanukkah party this year, but right now it’s Christmas Eve so a Christmas greeting is what you get!

It doesn’t feel much like Christmas outside, with these crazy 80 degree days in the dead of winter, but the trees and lights are up and we’re anticipating a visit from Santa.  Tonight we’re going to the candlelight service at church which is always very beautiful and tomorrow we’re zig zagging across Palm Beach County to make our rounds with the family.

Last week we had a few friends over for brunch which was very nice.  Here are a few moments from the day -

My awesome peppermint bark hearts, that wouldn’t have been possible without my super crafty friend Kim, whose idea I totally ripped off!

Pretzel rods – these were awesome!  I made some kid sized ones too!

The grub!

Those cupcakes are the size of my head!  Costco rocks!

The kid table, missing a few of the kids.

And something no one thought they would ever see.  Our friend Dave touching a baby.  Kate wasn’t too sure about him at first but as soon as she realized they spoke the same language (of food) all was forgiven.

Later that afternoon I recieved a beautiful gift from my friends Ed and Nanda of Petunia Flowers.  They made some poor guy bring it all the way up from Miami but I am so grateful, we have really enjoyed it!  Ed and Nanda were the angels that did my shower arrangements, aren’t they so talented?!

And it had the most adorable little card -

And since we’re on the subject of Christmas I suppose I should share with you our trip to see Santa.  It was very anticlimatic and horribly dissapointing.  We drove all the way down to Aventura Mall in Miami because we heard it was a great experience.  I was having trouble deciding between there and PGA.  I knew the PGA Mall (the Gardens) had a gorgeous Santa but not much else.  I was told this one had a very pretty Santa (shoot me, we’re into photos) and a lot of kid things to do.  We took the bait and boy did we make the wrong choice!  Santa was a class A jerk!  Even in Boca you get a very friendly guy who wants to know your name and what you want for Christmas.  This guy was all about the photo.  He pulled the kids onto his lap, yelled at Walter about where to stand (because of course you can’t interfere with their overpriced poor quality photo scam) and then told Noah where to look.  And as soon as one picture was taken he wanted to know who was next.  Ummmm, there was no one else in line.  We felt very ripped off and I felt violated on the kids’ behalf.  Anyway, they did have a train ride and a play area but that hardly made up for it.  Here are some picture from the experience.

It was definitely a gorgeous place with a pretty Santa, I’ll give them that -

Noah really enjoyed riding on the train.  It was a very short ride and he wanted to go again but we all had lost our Christmas spirit by then.

And here’s our OCD son closing the train door.  We’re going to claim he’s a gentleman in the future, but for now it must be OCD.

So we’re hoping the nice Santa will visit tonight.  Afterall, we’ve all been pretty good.  I hope you all get exactly what you’re wanting.  Is it wrong to ask for a silent night (with no hungry middle of the night wake up calls)?

Before yesterday it had been awhile since you heard from us.  Sorry about that!  I’m trying to catch up.

I’ll start with the rest of Bruce and Peter’s visit.  On Thanksgiving Walter, Ian, Bruce and Peter took all the kids to Sugar Sand Park.  They had a great time!  Kate and I stayed home and watched the Macy’s Parade.  Walter managed to get a few shots -

Jaimie                                                                     Olivia

Noah                                                                      Ian and Amy

Here’s Noah the day before at another park.  I picked this one out because I wanted to show you a photo of him in this same tunnel awhile back.  What a difference two years makes!

Then in December…

Remember our girlfriend Lauren who let us do her (amazing) pregnancy photos?  Well she had her little guy Max a few days after the shoot.  He was born on December 3rd and is just too cute for words.  We were originally supposed to do photos on the 6th, it’s a good thing we didn’t wait! 

Here they are in the hospital -

Isn’t he too cute?  Beth and I actually dragged our whole gaggle (of three kids) to go see her.  It’s amazing she even let us in the door!  And then we dragged the new mom of two to a playdate the following week -

Noah                                                                              Kate and I – my sister made me this great sling!

Aaron loving the swing - as always!

Max

Alex, Lauren’s older son and Max’s brother

And then we sent Kate and Max on their first date.  They are only two months apart (although she looks about 6 months old next to this precious 9 day old baby) and already enjoy each other’s company.  Just kidding, they’re probably sharing stories about how their older brothers torture them when no one is looking.

Kate and Max holding hands -

Kate with the “yes!” or “score!” fist pump, Max thinks she’s boring -

Too cute.  Is she mocking him?

And then my little bipolar princess -

And our attempt to get all the kids in a picture.  Alex refused so here’s everyone else.

Beth and I fought over, I mean took turns, holding Max.

Whoever taught my son the concept of “why?” needs to be stoned!  My God, EVERYTHING is “why?…but why?…” and after awhile the answer is “BECAUSE I SAID SO!”.  For the most part we try to answer all of his questions, which we require to be actual questions, hoping he’ll retain a little bit of the information but after awhile you just want to hit your ahead against the wall.  He is just too curious – or nosey!

“Why are these lights on?”
“Why are these lights off?”
“Where is our house?”
“Why do we live there?”
“What’s that (total stranger) man’s name?” (that we’re standing within earshot of)
“Why are we going?”
“Why are we stopping?”
“What are you thinking?”
I am not exaggerating even a little and the questions don’t ever stop, not even for him to breathe!  Any idea when it stops?  Is it to late to ask Santa for a mute button for him?

Kate is doing well.  She just yells at us so far but luckily her needs are still simple.  She loves to smile and flirt now and it’s so much fun getting her to grin.  She has found her hands and thinks they are the coolest thing ever.  We often find her liking her fist or doing tai chi when no one is looking.  We’ve also discovered that she has a dimple!  The ying to Noah’s yang.  Each of them have just one, on opposite cheeks, like they share a pair.  Today is her 3 month birthday!

Walter and I are very well also.  He’s off until the end of the year – which I love!  We are trying to do fun things, catch up with friends, take trips to attractions we don’t get to often, and generally just spend time together.  We’ve been doing quite a few photoshoots for friends, family and clients.  It’s been a long time since this was something we did so often and to be honest we didn’t think it was something we would every do with regularity again but we enjoy it so much that we’re making it work.  We charge just enough to cover the babysitter and our time to do the shooting, editing, and airbrushing and we’ve really been having fun.  Maybe when the kids are older we’ll set the studio stuff back up and play with that again.  For now only our kids get studio shots.

We hope you all are well and are enjoying the holiday season.  I will try to blog about our adventures since Walter’s been off, we have been diligent about taking photos!

Here is part two of decorating the house for Christmas -

I told Noah he had to wear his Santa hat if he was going to help decorate the tree.  It was the rule.  He was thrilled.

He loved hanging ornaments though.  This year we invested in an entire collection of shatterproof ornaments.  It’s a good thing too, Noah has tried to spin the tree a few times.  Lovely.  He couldn’t stay focused on which set we were hanging at the time and went back and forth between all the choices.  He loved putting the hook on himself and hanging them.  I couldn’t help myself, after he went to bed I rearranged some of the ornaments.  Who needs six hanging off the same branch?!

The next evening the kids and I were going to hang lights outside in the bushes.  What a disaster.  I think they were both crying before the second strand was up.  I did them another time, by myself, and they look fabulous!  Of course Noah likes everyone else’s lights better but at least we have them up this year.

This was before we started hanging them.

And when I realized my car was in all of the photos I dragged them to the front door.

I just realized I don’t have any photos of the final products.  I’ll work on that, and my Christmas shopping!