Memorial Day

For Mother's Day, one of the gifts from Joe and Laina was this fire pit which I have wanted for a long time now. We pulled it out for Memorial Day weekend and it really is awesome. We made fun yummie s'mores which of course my chocolate and marshmallow loving little one loved and I must say Joe and I did as well!

In the morning we all headed to the Memorial Day parade in our town. It's so nice to be able to walk to a community event like that. Laina loves parades because she knows they generally toss candy out to the crowd. We all love the music and seeing all the Veteran's and families marching is what helps us remember what the holiday is all about. Not just those tasty s'mores!

I love the picture below of Laina and Cooper all dressed and ready to go to the parade in their red white and blue...and Laina making Cooper do tricks for treats. I love that he listens to her just as he would us -- as long as a treat is involved of course!

Backyard Antics

I love these two. I love how much they play in the backyard. I love watching them and listening to them. I love when Laina giggles. I love when Joe does whatever Laina instructs him to do, like climbing up into the fort of the swing set even though he's too big for it. I love that Laina has a Daddy who is so hands on. She's a lucky little girl and I'm a lucky mama.

Oh, and I also love how Cooper just tries so hard to get in on the action!

In Studio

Rehearsals for the dance recital are in full swing! Here's a cute little picture of Laina and a few of her friends taken during one of the in studio rehearsals to get ready for the big day!

Preschool Graduation

Well my baby has graduated from pre-school. What a completely overwhelming experience it was...for mommy. It's just incredible to think that Laina is almost 5 years old and will be heading off to Kindergarten in a few short months. Where did the time go?

The program at her school was really wonderful. The kids sung lots of great songs and then her teachers handed out diplomas to all the kids and afterward we had a fun little party back in her classroom. Laina will be leaving her pre-school soon to head to camp and we will miss her teachers very much!

Video of Our Slugger

My Little Slugger!

T-ball has begun and whoa can this girl hit a ball! It is so fun to watch her get out there and do her thing. She loves to hit that ball and hit it she does! Look out major leagues....here she comes!

Another Great Visit

Happy Birthday Grampy!

Laina and I headed down to MA to celebrate Grampy's 77th birthday! We went to the nursing home Grammy is at while recovering from an infection. We were met with a nice surprise....Aunt Mae was there too! In the car ride down, Laina asked me if anyone else was going to be there and I said "nope, just you, me Grampy and Grammy" and then when we arrived and Aunt Mae was there, Laina was all over me telling me that I was WRONG! Funny kid.

Cooking Class

We signed Laina up for a cooking class that takes place right at her school and she is just loving it. Each week they cook a meal from a different country. Before they begin cooking they talk a little bit about the country and learn more about their food and culture. This week they cooked food from Italy which meant it was none other then Laina's favorite P-I-Z-Z-A!!! We asked her what she learned about Italy and she told us "it's shaped like a boot!" The most fun part for us is that we get to sample her goodies every week! This pizza was delicious!

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day thanks to my sweet husband and beautiful daughter. The day started with breakfast made by Joe. Then he bathed Laina and they got ready and headed out to run a bunch of errands while I stayed home and relaxed watching totally cheesy television which I loved every second of. Then they came home with 6 lobsters for dinner! Joe cooked a delicious dinner for us. They gave me a new bead for my bracelet, beautiful flowers and cards. In school Laina made me a ring holder (painted when the pottery painting place came to school) and a beautiful votive holder that she made in class with her teachers. Here are some pictures of Laina with the lobsters. This is the closest she's gotten to lobsters and we couldn't believe she actually held one. She also took a bite this time! Big steps! She's still not a fan but that's ok.

I gave Laina a present for Mother's Day this year - a book for us to read together. Without this precious little girl I would not have the honor of celebrating this holiday. It is truly amazing how this little being has changed my life so much. I love you Laina! Thanks for being my baby!!!

Two Sweet Little Ladies

We had a great visit with Auntie Renee, Uncle Mike, Emily & Archie. Emily is a few months shy of 2 years old and so the girls can play together now which is just wonderful to watch. It was really sweet because when we first got there Laina was reading books to Emily and they were just quietly enjoying each other. By the end of their visit they were as comfy as sisters nudging each other out of the way to get to the toys they wanted to play with (see the picture of the 2 of them in front of the fridge trying to get the magnets they want). Lifelong buddies they will be!

Liv's Birthday

Olivia turned FIVE and we had great fun celebrating with friends!!