Summer fun...

Having popsicles with our neighbors, the Zaengle girls.


Attending a barbeque with our Godparents & Godsisters.

"Nothin' comes between me and my brother!"

Happy 60th Birthday BB!

Developments

Clayton's still not officially "crawling", but he scoots backwards on his hands and knees and loves scooting under the coffee table.

He also has broken his first two bottom teeth!

Still loving the Johnny Jump-up

Earlier this morning, I took Caroline to meet Curious George at our local children's bookstore, Crocodile Pie. Such fun!


Here is Clayton, passed out and dreaming...


And here are the beautiful roses Kevin surprised me with last night.

Spring dress

Mother's Day

We got to spend Mother's Day with both my mom and Kevin's mom. Boy...it is definitely a challenge to get a picture with both of the kids together these days.

the things that come out of their mouths...

Here are two of the funniest things Caroline said this past few weeks.
One morning when mama was extra tired, I told her "Mama is SO tired," she looked at me and matter-of-factly said "Mama needs COFFEE!"

One afternoon I was flustered/rushed/frustrated over something and I was racing around, muttering something. Caroline looked at me and called "Mama...take a breath. " How right she was!

Happy 9 month birthday Clayton Matthew!

whipped cream

Caroline has no problem taking big bites of whipped cream!

bugaphobia

Spring has finally arrived! Hurray! We are thrilled that we can spend hours upon hours outside in the fresh air. A bit of bugaphobia, however, threatens to ruin our fun. As of yesterday, Caroline has developed an overwhelming fear of those little gnats that peskily fly around any grassy area. Yes - they are pesky and unfortunately, are pretty much everywhere in our front and backyard. When one gets close to her, she lets out a blood-curdling scream, starts sobbing and pleads to be picked up. Ugh. So much for our outdoor adventures. Let's just hope this phobia is short-lived.

Caroline tasting whipped cream...

Here is the video on YouTube.

The kids in their Siesta Key T-shirts

When we were in Florida in February, we got the kids SIesta Key T-shirts. Well, it is FINALLY warm enough to actually wear them!

"Okay, my turn to look at the camera. "

"Okay, now your turn."

"Now both of us!"

Fun outside and the kids' 1st wagon ride

New swing

We got a new swing for the backyard and it is a big hit with both kids!

"Can I hold my baby brother?"

Caroline asked "Can I hold my baby brother?"

Then she realized that he had gotten pretty big and quite squirmy, and she changed her mind.
They almost look the same size in this picture!

Happy 1st Birthday to Eva and Sofia!

Our Goddaughter, Sofia, and her twin sister Eva turn one year old today!
Caroline and I went to their birthday party yesterday and had so much fun!

Fun with cousins Sarah & Alyssa

On Friday, we spent the day at Sarah & Alyssa's house. Caroline and Clayton had so much fun playing with their cousins!

Gymnastics!

This spring, I enrolled Caroline in gymnastics. The first two times were a disaster. She didn't want to try anything and cried on and off the whole time. Well, the third time was the charm because she tried EVERYTHING and loved it (except the trampoline). She climbed and tumbled through the obstacle course, swung on the bars and rings, walked along the balance beam, and played in the pit (her favorite).

I love playing ball!

An afternoon in the city...

My parents took the kids for an overnight and Kevin and I got to spend the entire afternoon in downtown Chicago. We walked all over the city, got to enjoy "adult" time drinking coffee at Starbucks, and learned about Chicago's history at the Chicago History Museum. We ate dinner at Table Fifty-Two, a cozy, southern comfort-food restaurant that Oprah Winfrey's personal chef opened last year. The food was really good and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Roll the ball...

Learning about the United States...

Papa feeding his grandson