Noah has started talking so much more than ever before.  The world is finally starting to come together for him and he’s able to communicate.  It really is wonderful!

I was on the phone yesterday and he repeated every other word I said, just like your annoying sibling did when you wanted them to leave you alone.  Last weekend he counted to 5.  Can you tell how impressed we are?

At the mall he was playing with the soda machine, pushing all the buttons (he LOVES buttons!).  A man walked up to make a purchase.  Noah stood back and watched the whole thing happen.  The man put his money in, pushed the button, and got a soda.  After he walked away, Noah ran up and started pushing the buttons again but nothing happened.  He spun around, held his hand out and said “I need money”.  I laughed so hard.  He had it all figured out.  What a great kid!

Walter and I have been going to the Renaissance Festival in Quiet Waters Park for as long as I can remember.  When we went last year Noah just hung out in the Baby Bjorn until he fell asleep staring at the ground.  It was almost like old times.  This year was quite a different story however.  Just like Disney and everywhere else you take these curious little people every experience is a whole new event.

When we walked in, the fairies (one of my personal faves) were sitting by the gate saying hello to the children and posing for photos.  Noah was curious but there was no way-no how he was going to go near them.  I remember him asking to borrow the phone to call DCS or something.  He was definitely worried and couldn’t figure out why we brought him to this freak show. 

Noah enjoyed the didgeridoo music and wanted to touch the instruments.  This photo of a stunned child really is ours, I know it doesn’t look like him, like I said – he was very concerned.  I love how he’s holding his hands.  If you try to touch him when he’s this nervous he turns from you and totally shuts down.  Poor baby.

Walter always has and always will love the Birds of Prey show.  I will always love the man who puts on the show (handsome like Sean Connery in my opinion).  Noah enjoyed his kettle corn, it’s the only way we were seeing any part of the show this year.

You’ll have to ask Walter just how many blurry or bird-just-out-of-frame photos it takes to get a few great ones like these.  The numbers are staggering!

Right when we walked in a kid had a rock candy sugar stick.  Noah NEEDED one.  After lunch we humored him because we know he’ll get tired of it and be done (instead of eating it all just because it’s good).  Yes, really we got him one.  Yes, don’t worry, we brushed his teeth.

A funny story about buying it actually – Walter and Noah were hanging out with the wagon a little bit ahead of the candy shop.  When Noah saw where I was going he jumped out and ran over.  He approached slowly and curiously and I said “Hi, Buddy!”.  The woman working the shop asked if he was mine.  She was concerned because she didn’t see anyone looking for him (I wonder how many kids take off for the candy shop) and I replied “I don’t see anyone who looks like him either!”.  I could tell she was really worried so I told her he was mine and got a laugh at her expense.  It was a little mean but c’mon – it was funny!

I will always love the glassblowing at the Ren Fest.  They’ve had a few different guys and this one is good.  They just put him in the worst spot where you simply overheat (bleachers in the sun next to a giant furnace) while trying to enjoy the show.  Here he is making a shot glass.

My lovely husband didn’t want to take Noah with him to the barber on his last visit, he didn’t think he needed to go.  I couldn’t have disagreed more.  So I took it upon myself and headed out on Wednesday for a little haircut.  Unfortunately I don’t know how to “order” a man’s haircut.  I asked him for a graduated step on the sides and back.  I now know I should have asked for a fade or for him to just clean up the sides.  What we got was a bowl cut.  The good, old fashioned, bowl.  And while Noah can certainly make it work he does look a little… like his dad should have taken him.

Noah and I went to the grocery store early in the morning and when we pulled in we see this big Entemman’s delivery truck.  There was a photo of a chocolate chip cookie that took up the entire side of the vehicle.  Noah took one look and said “MOMMY!  Cookie Bus!”.  I don’t know why that made my day, I thought it was hysterical though, funny enough to share.  We later came up with jokes on how cookies get around – on the cookie bus of course, and I’m just so impressed that he could put those thoughts together.  He demanded to drive (they have these limo sized shopping carts with cars on the front with steering wheels) to the bakery and get a cookie.  He scored one with Easter sprinkles and couldn’t have been prouder.  I’m sure that cookie had just gotten off the bus to wait for him.

(Sorry all I had was my camera phone!)

Our dear friends Kim, Kelly, Peyton and Sydney have moved!  For those of you who don’t know “Kimmie” she is my “friend with the twins” who we see at least once a week and we are going to miss her and her family immensely.  Lucky for us they have landed in Washington DC and her husband will be working right across from XM’s headquarters so Noah and I have dibs to tag along next time Walter heads up that way.  Unfortunately it couldn’t ever be often enough.  We wish Kim and her family the best of luck and hope that we get a chance to head up soon!

To celebrate, most of the girls from our Wednesday group had a girls’ night out at the Melting Pot.

And one last Wednesday.  Aaron left before the camera made an appearance – sorry Beth!

Six months ago we hosted the girls’ birthday party at the house.  I will always have such fond memories of this.  I miss you guys!

Pamela and Troy were married on Sunday, February 17th at Benvenuto in Boynton Beach.  My mom watched Noah so Walter and I could enjoy the wedding without any juggling or entertaining.  I can’t remember the last time I didn’t carry a giant diaper bag/purse!  We had a great time and even managed to get a dance in. 

The ceremony was great but unfortunately our seats were out in right field so we didn’t get any great shots of the nuptials.  We did get a good chuckle out of seeing what tough work being a flower girl is!

The reception was beautiful!

The dances were so touching!  Troy and Pam danced together of course and they had the traditional daughter/father, mother/son dances but I’m not sure how many dry eyes were left after Troy shared a special dance with his daughter, Rebecca.  It was precious!

It was great seeing the extended family two days in a row!  These are a lot of the same people at the table shot from EJ’s birthday.  Amazing what a difference a day (and some fabulous clothes) makes!

This is Walter’s cousin and the groom’s sister, Tracey, and her husband Huong.  They’re expecting their first child, a daughter named Hope, in May.  She looked radiant but just kept saying she felt huge – at least she’s sleeping, right?

EJ’s 2nd birthday party was held at Veteran’s Park in Delray on February 16th.  What a great place for a kid’s event!  They had an amazing playground and a great pavilion.  We had a blast!  Thanks to the McMullen family for having us!

It was great to spend time with Walter’s family that we don’t get to see very often.

I’m not sure what Noah loved more – the playground or the chips!  He couldn’t stay away from either!

Could these two be any cuter?  This and the manhole photo were totally unstaged! 

Let them eat cake!

Noah and Jaimie had totally different ideas when it came to the proper utensils for cake eating!

Happy (Chinese) New Year everyone!  We celebrated at Walter’s parents’ home and got to enjoy tons of out of town company!  Aunt Kay’s birthday was just a few days later so everyone flew in for the celebration.

The cousins of course loving on each other as usual but also enjoying the company of relatives they’d never met.  We’re hoping our northern roots don’t stay away quite as long before visiting next time.  Wayne hasn’t been here since our “wedding” when he spent a week in a hot house with no electric courtesy of Hurricane Frances.  Sorry about that!

Aunt Kay cooking up a storm with all the “aunties”.  The food was amazing!

Here are all the siblings (8 total, 1 who has passed) and their spouses – and two of the cutest grandchildren.  It’s not very often they are together and it’s even less often they let you take a photo.  We sure had a full house!  Can you see some of the food next to them?  Yum!

A small group of us who met at Childbirth class have managed to stay in touch.  We may not get together as often as we’d like and we certainly can’t sit around and chat while the kids sit still but once in awhile we make it work.  This weekend we were able to get most of us together and we all had a great time.  The very first time we managed to get a photo of this same group all at once was Halloween of 2006 (we missed Jonah both times!).  We did it again this weekend and I can’t get over the difference!  Note:  There were A LOT of Goldfish crackers harmed in the making of the present day photo.  Does anyone know how hard it is to get five toddlers to sit still??

And now on to the fun of Patch Reef Park -

Walter and Noah had never been to Chuck E. Cheese’s.  The last time I went was 20 plus years ago for Laura Beth Wuestman’s 7th or so birthday where I delicately played balance beam on a parking stop while waiting to get in.  I still have a scar on my knee from that fall which apparently wasn’t as graceful as I remember.  At any rate we had nothing to do this rainy Sunday and were going to give it a go.  We had a blast!  We got 80 tokens and each game costs 1.  Do you know we spent all morning there until every last one was spent?  One Noah got the hang of putting in tokens, smashing buttons and pulling out the tickets he was so into it.  For Walter and I it was fun to play and for at least a few hours not worry about a thing.  We sampled the infamous pizza which tastes just like the lunch lady in middle school used to make it and bought some great loot with our winnings.  We will definitely be back!

Mom’s favorite – Skeeball!  Noah was a natural but he needs a little more throwing power.

And of course the boys had to play with the air cannons!

Lunch was deelish!  I don’t know what this face is but it is so darn cute!