December/ Christmas 2017

Where did December go? I swear we were just finishing up turkey and pulling out the bins of Christmas decorations and now it's time to start thinking about packing everything up. I love decorating for Christmas and as sad as it is to take it all down; it's also kind of nice. It always makes the house feel less cluttered, less cramped, and really clean. But until then, the tree is still up, toys are still everywhere, and Gabby still asks if she can have a Christmas cookie for breakfast.

It was a wonderful December and Christmas. Here's a few highlight photos from our month.

Overpriced, slightly weird mall Santa

Serious tree search

Thinks falling in the hay is hilarious

Pretty sure I'll be getting these same stares 15 years from now!

First snow of the season!

Ice skating

Going to see her first Nutcracker

Wonderful grocery store Santa!

Started ballet and tap

Had to lower the crib

Christmas Eve

Santa came!

It was a great month. Gabriella is at a fun age for Santa and all things Christmas. By the end of the day she was exhausted but so so happy. Elliot was just happy to have a few toys that aren't his sister's hand-me-downs :) (and happy to be passed around from family member to family member; big boy loves to be held!).
I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful start to 2018!

Thanksgiving 2017

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are enjoying a relaxing day (or maybe out braving the Black Friday crowds for a good deal). Gianni and I went out this morning hoping to get some shopping done and while we did put a dent in the kids Christmas stuff, none of it was on sale. But having a morning to get it done was very appreciated!

The weekend before Thanksgiving we went to Sandy and Thierry's new home for the weekend. Every year in Stamford the Macy's Parade balloons get inflated as a trial and this is our second year going with the kids. Seeing their excitement as they watch Elmo come to life is so much fun! The three kids had a blast together and while the balloons and sitting in Santa's chair were awesome, somehow hiding in Sandy's new kitchen cabinets was even better :)

We had another great holiday here in town with family. Thanksgiving morning we had Gianni's family over for coffee and a light breakfast while we watched the parade. Gabriella and Elliot both went down for naps before we headed to my parents for dinner in the afternoon. This is the first year that Gabby seems to understand the concept of holidays; she asks what we are celebrating (and whether or not there are presents). It seems like a good age to really try and stress the importance of giving and being thankful for how blessed we are.  The week before Thanksgiving we filled a bag of food to bring to the local turkey and food drive. When she realized that the drop off was at a school right near my parents she announced that she thought Nana and Grampy really needed our food instead. Sigh. Baby steps :)

Back to Thanksgiving. We had a delicious dinner and then Santa made a quick stop while he was testing out the sleigh to bring the kids Advent calendars and Christmas jammies. It was completely adorable and another great memory.

The holidays get better and better each year as our family grows  and the kids get older. We have a lot of fun things planned for December too!

Halloween 2017

Happy Halloween!! We had a busy and fun-filled day yesterday. The morning started out with a Halloween party at Gabriella's school. I was one of the parent volunteers so I got to spend the morning with her class running some of the games we had made. We had pumpkin bowling, catch the pumpkin balloon, and a candy corn ring toss game. It was absolutely adorable and I loved seeing Gabby interact with her teachers and classmates. Every once in awhile she'd look around to find me and give the biggest smile.

Once Gianni was home, we had pizza and chips for dinner and then he headed out with her to do some trick-or-treating. Elliot was dressed up for a few minutes but he is ready for bed these days by 6:30 so we kept him home. Gabby was in heaven dressed up as Cinderella and she insisted that Gianni wear a crown too and be a prince. It was so cute! They were out for about 45 minutes, hit up all the neighbors, and then came home with a tired but very happy girl. This is the first year that she really understands holidays so her excitement over Halloween has us really looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

And our little lion started out November with his first tooth! We knew it was close but this morning he woke up and his first little tooth has broken through his gums. It's his bottom tooth and he has spent all day rubbing his tongue over it. He handled it like a champ and besides drooling like a dripping faucet and chewing on everything, he hasn't been complaining. Love these little milestones!

Happy November!

3 years old

Our spunky, opinionated, and hilarious girl is 3! Two was filled with so much change; she is now very much a little girl. She has stories to tell and opinions to give, both of which she's not shy to share. She can be quiet and observant when put in a new situation but once she warms up to a person or place, she is as happy as can be.

School has been so wonderful for Gabriella. She has a little place that is just hers now and has blossomed so much in just a few months. She adores her teachers and has a few "best friends" including Jacob, Tyler, Finley, Jack, and Natalie. We had them over for a small birthday celebration and listening to a group of 3 year olds talk is one of the funniest things in the world.

Gabriella's favorite things include arts and crafts, imaginary play with characters and dolls, and any sort of messy play (finger painting, splashing, bubbles, etc.). She's very much into princesses as well even though she's never watched a full Disney movie. (That being said, when I asked what she wanted to be for Halloween she said a Prince. And when I asked what she would wear she replied "Nothing. I will be a naked prince running down the road". Ahhh three year olds).

It took her a few months to really start enjoying her role as a big sister but now she is great. She can make Elliot laugh harder than anyone else and talks now about how she wants to share a room and a bunk bed with him like Peppa Pig does with her little brother.

We went through a rough patch over the summer with big tantrums and a lot of sleep problems. We weren't really sure what was going on and discussed possible developmental/ emotional things with our pediatrician. He gave us a lot of good guidance and tips on getting through that stage. He believed that the tantrums were actually being caused by some fine motor skill delays which were causing her to get really frustrated with herself.  Giving her a little extra attention when we saw her getting worked up as well as giving positive reinforcement has really helped.
 
If I've learned anything over the past 3 years it's that every age and stage has it's ups and downs. I know 3 will bring it's fair share of challenges but I love how we can have conversations now and her stories and ideas can be so funny and great to hear. I can't wait to see what else this year brings!