Maine Maple Sunday

We took Cooper out with us on our family outing for Maine Maple Sunday. We have gone to this same sugar shack the past three years. This year they were very low on syrup by the time we got there but we were able to bring some home, watch the process, see the animals and of course Laina's favorite --- riding on the tractors. We had a great time. It was really cold and Cooper just stayed inside my fleece coat making friends along the way. Hard to resist that face. He does great in the car!

Our first family group photo with Cooper outside the barn

Happy Girl on the tractor

Loving the tractor!

Checking on the syrup....212 degrees is HOT!
Cooper and I hung out in here to keep warm while Laina & Joe rode the tractors!

Outside the sugar shack

And........Looking Back......
Outside the sugar shack in 2007

And in 2008

Meet Cooper!

We're getting a puppy! We bring him home tomorrow. He is 8 weeks old today. We are very excited and a little nervous. This is a BIG step for us!

Brand new baby

1 week old

3 weeks old (Cooper is all the way to the right)

4 weeks old

6 weeks old

8 weeks old

Laina and Cooper

The Hazards of Coloring

Laina learned the hazards of coloring today..........she got her first paper cut! OUCH!

The Leprechauns Came Last Night!!

Well, the little Leprechauns did in fact visit our house last night! Before bed we read our two St. Patrick's Day books. One of them is a story about the Leprechauns that we bought for Laina last year. It's the cutest book and the thing we love most about it is that one of the Leprechauns is named Boo and that is our nickname for Laina so it just fits us so well! The other Leprechauns are Col and Ari and the three of them go about stirring up trouble on their way to hide the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We've been telling Laina that after we all go to sleep, the Leprechauns will come to the house and leave presents for us in the morning -- and they did! The first chocolate gold coin was left on the headboard of her bed and so when she woke up and went to turn her bedroom light on she found it and she was so revved up -- "MOMMY! The Leprechauns Came!" She then asked if we could go outside and find the Leprechauns under the trees (where she sees them in our Leprechaun book). I had to explain that it was "Leprechaun Law" that we cannot see them!!! She headed downstairs to find the rest of her stash and had a great time! It was so cute. The Leprechauns came last year too but this year she just was so into it!

The hunt for gold dubloons!

Score!

Then we had our green eggs for breakfast. Once she took a bite, she spit it out even though it tastes EXACTLY the same as the eggs she always eats! Silly girl. I guess the green is a little scary looking!

After breakfast I let her eat a chocolate coin -- at 7am! A first for me!

Off to dance class - here's Laina twirling around before class begins. To me it looks like she's practicing her Irish Step Dance!

And back at home wearing her "Everyone Loves an Irish Girl" t-shirt!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We had a wonderful day - hope you did too!

She Jumps!

Hooray! Laina jumped in solo from the side of the pool today. She used to do this over a year ago, then she decided she wasn't comfortable doing it and now she's decided its OK again!

And a couple of cute pictures of Laina & Joe in the pool...

I just love these two

Here are a couple of cute little picture of Joe & Laina taken at book time. Generally the rules according to Laina dictate that Daddy reads a book and Mommy reads a book but the other night she "allowed" Joe to read all the books at bedtime. I just loved watching the two of them on the couch together snuggled in and reading. They are the two most important parts of my world.

Is this girl a model or what?

We went to Gymboree today and had a wonderful time purchasing lots of great things from their new summer line. Gymboree goes and puts these great colors together and covers it all with ladybugs just to taunt me! When we got home, Laina was SO excited to do a fashion show for Daddy - like seriously excited to try on clothes. Then when I wanted to take pictures of her, she just hammed it up for me. In fact, when I had decided I had taken enough pictures, she would say "one more, Mommy". So funny -- so very funny. Well - here it is - the fashion show.