Chicago!

The moons have aligned for me to be able to get back to community theatre (thank you to Jas for insisting I audition and to my mom for free babysitting services).  I like my socializing with a side of fitness, a double helping of exercise and 3 advil. It feels good to be back. If you'd like to see me dance on stage in my underpants, please come see Chicago at the Cambridge YMCA October 21-29.

I'm going to be up way past my bedtime for the next several weeks at rehearsals and kicking my arse at the gym (showtunes on the treadmill anyone?).

This is what naptime looks like.

Random fun

Grumpy face

Even Pappy loves the new swing set!

I lowered one of the swings so she can get onto it herself.  We have spent most afternoons out on the swings in mosquito-land.  I'm in a love/hate relationship with bug spray.

Someone likes her bike helmet.  And you'll never guess who picked out her own shoes.

Some of the more entertaining "Elliott-isms" of late:

• Jas has taught her to say "Woo hoo! Sweet!" and is trying to teach her to say "Eh-eee" with her thumbs up.  A video would be better than this lame description.
• "Mommy, drive with two hands!"
• In a panicked voice with her arms stretched out in front of her, she asked me where her elbows went. Panicked I tell you.
• FYI -- the going rate for imaginary ice cream is "30 dollars and a quarter."
• She keeps asking to be put in a time out. Clearly my discipline strategy is not effective.
• Suddenly, she's been adding the "ee" sound to things like "my milky" and "Scouty."
• She can recite several of her books including "Fancy Nancy," "Duck on a Bike," most of the Sandra Boynton books and "Goodnight Moon."  It is really amazing how smart 2 year olds are.  We will read a library book twice and she'll have portions of it memorized.
• The other day in the car she said to me, "Hey Mommy!  Guess what? Ant Lindsay loves me."  Several minutes later: "Mommy, Nana loves me."
• As Jas was leaving for work this morning, she said: "Bye Daddy!  I love you! Drive carefully!"
• She continues to talk about our trip to Sesame Place and how much fun we had there.  "Last night I see Daddy and Yoo-ee (Lilly) on roller coaster!" or "I saw the Count when I on Daddy's shoulders." or "Last night Fancy Nancy take baby Aoife onto van with me."  It is very sweet.
• Jas gave Elliott her first science lesson: when you put ce cubes in shower, they melt and become water.
• One of her new favorite pastimes is playing hide n go seek.  She closes her eyes and says, "Mommy!  Find me!"  Or she counts to 10 while looking at me and then tells me she found me.
• We've been going to the gym a lot recently -- she LOVES the child watch room.  She talks about her friend Emily (one of the adults) all the time.  "Mommy, Emiwee say I'm rockstar."
• "I'm going to have food with my friends Jane and Michael Banks." (Mary Poppins reference)
• "Daddy, maybe after we go to King's Crown, we can buy a pink horse." (Fancy Nancy and Mary Poppins in one thought)
• My new favorite time of the day is right before her nap or right before bedtime when we "cuddle one minute."  So sweet.
• When we moved in, Dan the cable man came to the house to "help us fix the TV."  Now, when ANYTHING breaks, she says Dan the cable man will fix it.  A ripped book, a broken crayon, when the power went out for a day and a half.  Dan the cable man to the rescue!
• "No, I do it myself."
• She has been insisting on showing me half chewed food in her mouth this week.  It is gross.
• After we told her that Mommy loves Elliott and Mommy loves Daddy and Daddy loves Mommy and Daddy loves Elliott, we asked her who she loves.  She said: "Great Grammie!!"  I immediately emailed my 91 year old grandmother to tell her this.  Yes, my 91 year old grandmother emails.  I love it. 

Erin's Bachelorette

We had a fantastic girls night out for Erin's bachelorette party this weekend. Dinner at DaVinci was AMAZING. We tore up the dance floor, made friends with a fireman (mandatory bachelorette party activity) and all have hangovers. Oy. I'm too old to pretend I'm 22.  But is was worth it. Can't wait for the wedding!

Oh, Elliott cried when I left to go because she wanted to go to Erin's party to see Miss Becca.

"I hold Baby Yoh-gan!"

Elliott was SO HAPPY to meet (and hold!) baby Logan. She has been talking about her all week.

Seriously? How adorable is this?

Rainy day fun

When life gives you rain, jump in puddles!

We've had a bunch of rainy days recently but we've kept busy.  And with us as always is Scout:

Poor Daisy the Baby ...

Sometimes we get creative with tupperware and nap locations ...  

The never ending birthday

Rather than opening all of her birthday presents in one sitting, we opted to open one present every other day or so.  It was the never ending birthday celebration.  It worked out well because every other day for more than a week we had something new to entertain us! Thank you to our generous family and friends (who didn't obey the "your presence is the only present needed" rule!).

Baby Logan is here!

Congratulations to Larry and Andre on their beautiful little girl, Logan!

Funny kid

"Mommy! Come find me!"


"We in a tent!"


Mmmmmm milk ...

Elliott fell down in the yard the other day and cut her hand -- she REFUSED to wear a band-aid and carried her arm like this for the rest of the day. She wouldn't use it at all.

After hours

Nana and Co stayed for the weekend to celebrate Elliott's birthday and help us break in the swing set:


Gramps loves a captive audience of great grandchildren:




My dad saw this scene out of the window and said, "Is that a kid? On the swings? Talking on a cell phone?!?"



Dancing lady:

"I'm on my beh-wee."

Even Gramps had a go at the slide!

Party time! Excellent!

If you've read the blog before, you'll know that Elliott's favorite song is "Happy Birthday." I've never seen a kid so happy as this one when 30+ people sang it to her. Her legs were kicking, her grin was touching her ears. So happy. 30+ you say? Yes. We are multiplying at an alarming rate and very soon, children will outnumber adults ... Our new house is perfect for a big kid-friendly party. Big back yard with a swing set, big deck with a water table, an empty living room in which to spread out toys, chicken nuggets fresh from the oven. Toddler paradise.





Cristian caught Jake sneaking a cookie. Ha!


Once she got used to the attention, E was fine. At one point early on in the party, I caught sight of her out of the corner of my eye wandering into the front yard. I looked around to see that Dee-dee, Pappy, Nana, Pop-Pop and Jas were all within sight so I knew she was unsupervised. When I caught up with her, she was climbing under a bush in the front yard saying "I just go under there." After that she warmed up to the crowd. She and Mia were attached at the hip for the remainder of the party:

Did you know that kids like cupcakes? How about dogs? I came downstairs on Friday morning to find all but 6 of my DOUBLE BATCH of freshly made mini cupcakes GONE from the counter. I would have punished her but I think (hope) she learned her lesson.



The Nickersons brought their WWE wrestling ring/bouncy house. It was a hot and humid day and it showed -- all the kids looked like they had gone swimming they were so sweaty after crashing around in this thing! I didn't have time to take my camera out until most of the action had died down. Late in the day Maddie was feeling brave enough to participate in the Massaro pig-pile contest:



Yeah, 20 kids can do some damage:


Have I mentioned how much I love our house? I love it. I want to have parties all the time.