Easter 2013

Mom and Dad's Easter gifts are the first to arrive in this house.

Then we head to church, after which the kids go outside for the Easter egg hunt...

They also get to go to an ENORMOUS egg hunt at Nikki's every year (which gets more amazing and elaborate each year, of course, because it's Nikki's!), so their Easter bounty is plentiful.

We also brought Bridget to church (our rule of thumb is that our emerging toddlers only come to big holiday masses--on a weekly basis, she is hard to contain and distracting for the boys). She did a great job, and even when she needed to be removed to the "kid room" halfway through, she was pretty happy. (Although sometimes she needed to be chased down the hallway, since she's a kid who staggers away from her parents without looking back.) (God help us.)

We forgot to take an all-family picture, but it was a very fun weekend with a lot of eating! All around, a great holiday.

Bridget at 12 Months

 At twelve months old, Bridget discovered the fun of self-grooming, the joys of (lurching, and then) walking, and the truism that fake laughter often leads to REAL laughter.

St. Patrick's Day 2013

Easy-to-read leprechaun clues for Will to decipher

Starting the treasure hunt together

At the end of the rainbow...a "Jake" book for each!

Recent Boy Quotes

On St. Patrick's Day, the boys were playing hockey downstairs when Will poked his head up to ask me something. "Mom, can you come play hockey with us? 'Cause we're two referees and [shakes head, rolls eyes] no players."

That night I told him it was time to get ready for bed and added, "No ifs, ands, or buts!"
"Mom," Will said, chuckling at me, "You're the craziest ever."

Finn on 3/18, as I'm helping him in the bathroom:
"Mom! You put me on the toilet and you DIDN'T put me gently!"

Later, I asked him if he wanted to get a haircut soon. He replied, "I want a haircut. I want it BALDED."

At the end of March, I asked the boys over dinner what they liked most about themselves.

"I love everything about me, because I love myself!" Will answered cheerfully.
"Okay, but what do you like the best about yourself?"
"Because I'm so nice all the time!" he concluded (somewhat mendaciously, I might add).
"What about you, Finny?"
Deadpan, Finn replied, "Because I'm so tiger-y."

Bridget Turned One!

A Clifford cake to satisfy her love of dogs and the boys' love of...well, Clifford!

Rachel and Lucy

Bridget with her lifelong (ha) BFF Gracie and G's mom Mindy

Totally a freeze frame from Look Who's Talking Four

We wore Curious George party hats and decorated with a Thomas "Happy Birthday" sign...sorry, Bridgie, but that's what you get for having two older brothers

Jack, waiting for cake

This actually, no joke, ended in a bloody nose. These boys get wild when they play.

Skye says she's pretty wild too!

Bridget grinned when I brought out the cake--and it was the happiest reaction to a raucous round of "Happy Birthday" I'd ever seen from a one-year-old!

Julie serves up the carrot cake

Does she like it?

As if there was any doubt!

Playtime!

Oops, sugar crash.

And she's back!

Getting nuzzled by Mamp

And Finny!

Watching my kids love each other feels like observing the meaning of life from a front-row seat.

More love for Bridgie, now with grandparents!

Our family of five

And then things got silly, starting with the old Blonde-on-Blond trick...

followed by the self-titled "Shirt-head," Finny...

and Lucy trying to drink directly from the talking teapot.

Finn's back to ride on an elephant!

And finally, the girl of the hour, throwing herself backward and laughing like a hyena to end the night on a high note.

We loved celebrating our baby girl's first year with family and friends. If Bridget realizes even a quarter of how lucky she is to be so loved, she'll be a happy girl indeed.