The kids were all smiles today being outside at Sister Cities playing in the water and snacking in the park. Alex's buddy Drew came in from the 'burbs to hang with us and the two of them loved climbing the waterfalls. Little Gemma was hanging in the shade in her oversized hat with her nose up to all of the immature children splashing and making a mess.
Alex went with Daddy to City Sports on the way home to pick out a new pair of "plip plops" (flip flops). He was very excited to help and we also got some new running shoes. While Daddy was standing there, Alex went down the wall and pulled every shoe down. He would take it off, show it to me, and say "this one daddy?"...amazing.
june 28th - please touch museum
Cousin Farrah came down to Philly today with Uncle Gary and Aunt Charissa to go to the Please Touch Museum. We got there early, so the kids pretty much had the run of the place. Although, Alex spent the first 45 minutes (and the last 45 minutes) in the room with all of the trucks. He drove multiple cars, a red "peek up truck," a septa bus, a city trolley, and a train. Every car he was in, he was always driving "to Drew's house."
He an Farrah loved the carousel and ran around like animals out front. We went to Jack's Firehouse for brunch afterward and the kids had a blast. They were giggling uncontrollably, but everyone at the tables next to us loved them...no chance of peace and quiet. Gemma was standing up watching them and really wanted to join in on the fun....soon enough!
He an Farrah loved the carousel and ran around like animals out front. We went to Jack's Firehouse for brunch afterward and the kids had a blast. They were giggling uncontrollably, but everyone at the tables next to us loved them...no chance of peace and quiet. Gemma was standing up watching them and really wanted to join in on the fun....soon enough!
june 27th - s'mores & sticks
We went to Newtown tonight to hang with the Dreby's. Todd built a fire in the backyard and the boys were helping to get it really going by finding sticks to throw into the fire pit. They had such a good time running around the yard and finding sticks. Gemma went down for the night early, so she missed out on Alex's first s'mores experience. Mommy may have been even more excited than Alex. The boys had fun roasting marshmallows...Alex was very cautious and stood at an OSHA certified distance.
june 26th - do these work with my pajamas?
Daddy went down to Virginia to visit Josh Boyce, so Alex and Gemma got extra time with Jackie today. Alex was practicing his drag bunts off of the tee, while Gemma watched him...unimpressed. After bath and PJ time, Alex tried on Mommy's rain boots and got a kick out of walking around the house.
june 25th - alex the organizer
Alex decided he was going to reorganize the lazy susan while we cooked dinner tonight. It actually just turned into a full scale emptying of the entire contents of the cabinet. He loves pulling everything out, but somehow disappears when it is time to put everything back.
june 24th - digger & TOM
Alex had a great day playing with his friends at Sister Cities park. Jackie got him a new puzzle that he puts together a hundred times a day. His new favorite book that he recently checked out of the library is called "Digger & Tom." Daddy could listen to him say the title all day long. It is hilarious.
june 23rd - happy gemma
Baby Gemma had a good day and seems to be feeling better. She did some power squats in her bouncer today and had some great naps. She got to spend some time with Mommy who ended her work day a little early for some hugs. Alex went to a birthday party with his friends at Seger today....got to have juice with Lucy.....ooohhhoooh
june 22nd - fashionistas
Alex and Gemma are working on setting new trends with their unorthodox combinations. Alex quickly abandoned his choice when he looked outside and realized it wasn't raining. However, he did not lack commitment to his pizza pie went we went to lunch at Stella. He ate most of it all by himself and even tried some salad. Gemma just stared with a curious look...wondering why we were not sharing.
june 21st - gemma, the chain smoker
Gemma's little voice is so raspy and when she giggles she sounds like she's been smoking packs of virginia slims. Little baby is so sweet and is coping really well with her chest cold. It helps that she has all three of us wrapped around her finger and we endlessly try to make her smile.
june 20th - food...good
Gemma had her first solid foods this morning and loved every minute. Mommy fed her some cereal and she was really into it...even though most of it ended up all over her face. She and Alex had a fun morning of laughter and exchanging germs. The two of them will probably be sick until they move out of the house.
june 19th - a night with daddy
Mommy is in NYC tonight for a dinner, so the babies are with daddy. Alex is feeling better and Gemma is managing to stay healthy. Alex made a jellyfish at play group today that he thinks makes a perfect hat for Gemma. She jumped in her bouncer long enough to basically fall asleep standing up. Alex and Daddy drew on the marker board while she slept and then we watched World Cup soccer before bed time.
june 18th - poor buddy
Our sweet boy has another double ear infection and this time he is in a lot of pain. Poor little buddy is on antibiotics but is in pretty bad shape. He will do anything to try and relieve the pressure...even if it inhibits breathing. We are trying to keep baby GemGem at arms length to minimize the 'holy crap factor' in our household. One sick kid is enough to drive anyone crazy.
june 17th - daddy's stay-cation
Gemma's t-shirt was very timely as Uncle Frank was here today helping Daddy re-work the patio. Daddy's vacation is not quite a vacation, but all the prep work was done in a day and the cement work should be done in no time with another set of hands.
june 16th - U S A...U S A...U S A
Gemma and Alex's first World Cup and the US team gave us a big win tonight over Ghana. After being eliminated from our last two World Cups by Ghana, we finally beat them summbitches. Gemma was still a little groggy from the trip, so she had to get out her glasses to see the TV.
june 15th - father's day
We had a nice father's day breakfast with Gramps and Grandmum at the hotel before they shoved off for their trip home. Our flight was not until 6pm, so we took the kids for a nice walk around the Central West End and checked out some really cool houses. The weather was perfect, so we sat for a bit at a cafe and then met up with Uncle Larry, Aunt Jill, and Bridget for lunch at Pi. Great pizza place that, apparently, President Obama had flown in for dinner. Torn between feeling good that the place must have good pizza or feeling pissy for the gross misuse of taxpayer dollars.
The kids were really good on the flight home and we managed to keep Alex awake until almost 11pm to tuck him in bed without a tricky transfer. Gemma did not make it much past takeoff. She was dead weight for the remainder of the trip...with exception of a brief state of consciousness in baggage claim.
The kids were really good on the flight home and we managed to keep Alex awake until almost 11pm to tuck him in bed without a tricky transfer. Gemma did not make it much past takeoff. She was dead weight for the remainder of the trip...with exception of a brief state of consciousness in baggage claim.
june 14th - the puke heard 'round the world
Definitely felt the wine from last night for a few minutes after waking up this morning. The kids got baths and set for the day. We used our left over wine glass as a bucket to give Alex his bath (bad parents or awesome parents?). Somehow a cone got set on our kick ass Hyundai Sonata overnight...not sure of the culprit. We took the kids down to see the Gateway Arch and stroll in the park. Alex was not feeling well, so the trip was cut a little short..but not before he got to ride the "trucks."
On the way back to the hotel, and with little warning, Alex projectile vomited in the back of our rental car. Mommy was cupping her hands to try and catch it - not an ideal collection method. Daddy held Alex out in front of him like he was a bomb walking through the lobby (screaming), praying no one else was waiting for the elevator. Poor buddy was so traumatized. Imagine never throwing up before and then all of a sudden your grilled cheese from yesterday is all over your favorite pizza shirt. The rest of the day Alex just clung around daddy's neck and we hung out by the pool. Baby steps, but eventually he was walking around the pool playing with his trucks.
This evening, Jackie watched the kids, and Mommy and Daddy went to the wedding. Uncle Larry came and picked us up in a limo bus and took us to the venue. It was a very nice courtyard ceremony followed by great food and lots of adult beverages. Bridget and V did a great job planning what turned out to be an awesome party. V's dad stole the show on the dance floor...not even a cigarette could slow him down. Aunt Karen double fisting white wine...YIKES!
On the way back to the hotel, and with little warning, Alex projectile vomited in the back of our rental car. Mommy was cupping her hands to try and catch it - not an ideal collection method. Daddy held Alex out in front of him like he was a bomb walking through the lobby (screaming), praying no one else was waiting for the elevator. Poor buddy was so traumatized. Imagine never throwing up before and then all of a sudden your grilled cheese from yesterday is all over your favorite pizza shirt. The rest of the day Alex just clung around daddy's neck and we hung out by the pool. Baby steps, but eventually he was walking around the pool playing with his trucks.
This evening, Jackie watched the kids, and Mommy and Daddy went to the wedding. Uncle Larry came and picked us up in a limo bus and took us to the venue. It was a very nice courtyard ceremony followed by great food and lots of adult beverages. Bridget and V did a great job planning what turned out to be an awesome party. V's dad stole the show on the dance floor...not even a cigarette could slow him down. Aunt Karen double fisting white wine...YIKES!
june 13th - gemma takes flight
Baby Gemma flew on her first airplane today. Our destination was St Louis, Missouri to attend Bridget and V's wedding. May be the first gathering of the Stone family since Mommy and Daddy's wedding in 2007...hopefully the place is still standing on Sunday. The kids did very well on the plane. Alex had to sit next to daddy and got a special treat from the beverage cart...JUICE! Gemma slept the whole flight and, thankfully, we had Jackie along with us to keep things organized and uneventful...the "plair plaimb went up in the sky" and "landed on the floor" safely, as Alex recalls.
Grandmum got a lot of birthday cuddles with the kids over a nice al fresco lunch at the hotel pool when we arrived. Just in time for Alex to get a grilled cheese in his belly. At night, we went to meet up with the whole crew at the food trucks in the park. We had MORE grilled cheese and Alex ran around like a wild man. Gemma just took in the action. The night ended late and the bar's inventory was depleted.
Grandmum got a lot of birthday cuddles with the kids over a nice al fresco lunch at the hotel pool when we arrived. Just in time for Alex to get a grilled cheese in his belly. At night, we went to meet up with the whole crew at the food trucks in the park. We had MORE grilled cheese and Alex ran around like a wild man. Gemma just took in the action. The night ended late and the bar's inventory was depleted.
june 12th - i need to cover my ears
Alex is a very responsible two year old and always makes sure he has a jacket on with his ears covered on rainy days. He even picks out his own sweatshirts...very out of the ordinary for it to actually match his outfit.
june 11th - big girl
Gemma is sitting in her own chair now at the dinner table. She has the sitting part down, but has not quite grasped the concept that we eat food at the dinner table and not our own feet.
june 10th - alex the builder
Every day when Daddy gets home, he and Alex MUST play blocks. "Daddy sit..." with a pat on the carpet where the building is to commence. We build a "big tower" every day, so high that Alex has to get on Daddy's shoulders to add blocks by the end.
june 9th - we heart gemma
What a sweetheart. Gemma is growing so fast and the interaction between the two kids is awesome. No one can make Gemma laugh like Alex...she loves him!
june 8th - best buds
Little Drew came over today to hang with Alex and engage in water sports in the backyard. The neighbor even opened up the fire hydrant so the two of them ran around in the street a bit. Actually, Drew ran around in the street and Alex took caution. However, he did not play it safe on his wardrobe.
june 7th - migrant worker for the day
Strawberry picking in Newtown today was a ton of fun and Alex had such a good time. Pick "red...no, no green." He picked his own bucket and even stole some from Jackie's bin when she was not looking. After we got done in the field, we went back to the main farmhouse and they were having a festival. They had huge blowup bounce houses with slides that Alex LOVED.
june 6th - hanging at grandma's
We spent the night in Princeton at Grandma Beeps' house. Alex helped make homemade pizza's and got to run around in the yard. He was so tired he slept like a log. Surprisingly, since Grandma fed him a pound of sugar.
june 5th - self-administered
Alex is a good boy taking his medication as prescribed...all by himself. He has to use his nebulizer twice a day for his nagging cough. As long as Mickey Mouse is on the tube, he will sit still and use it all by himself.
june 4th - another ear infection
Alex has another double ear infection. Seems every time a tooth comes in, we are at the pharmacy picking up antibiotics. Jackie kept him in today for a little R&R, but he did make it out for a walk with Daddy to pick up pizza in his pajamas.
june 3rd - always smiling
Gemma is the happiest little girl. It does not take much to get a smile out of her, but you have to work a little for a belly laugh. She started the day in white pants, but free flowing bodily fluids tend to lead to unanticipated wardrobe changes.
june 2nd - like peas and carrots
Gemma is growing up so quickly and she is going to be chasing Alex around in no time. She now goes to the park and swings with her big brother and is getting interested in taking a dip at Playa del Burger. Alex loves teaching her things and his laughter is contagious. When Gemma hears him laugh, she laughs too...even if she doesn't 'get' it...so awesome.
june 1st - alex andretti
Alex's new thing is driving the car...obviously while it is in park, but he does not bother with the technical details. As long as the wipers go on, he doesn't care that he is a stationary object. We went to the store to road test a new double stroller for traveling. Alex and Gemma picked out a good one and we beat the hell out of it down the aisles to ensure it will hold up. We also got Alex a little pool for the backyard. Getting all of it into the trunk was an engineering miracle.
Daddy and Alex went to the Italian Market to get stuff to make a big pot of sauce for dinner. Alex had gelato for lunch. Not exactly the most highly nutritious option, but worth the smile on his face. After a dip in the new pool, Uncle Frank, and cousins Jack & Julia came down for dinner. Alex ate about of pound of pasta!
Daddy and Alex went to the Italian Market to get stuff to make a big pot of sauce for dinner. Alex had gelato for lunch. Not exactly the most highly nutritious option, but worth the smile on his face. After a dip in the new pool, Uncle Frank, and cousins Jack & Julia came down for dinner. Alex ate about of pound of pasta!
may 31st - happy birthday farrah
We celebrated Farrah's second birthday today at an children's outdoor wonderland. They had a park that was like an Alex magnet. All the kids played the entire afternoon while the adults chased them around. Not what we remember a 'party' would be....but really fun watching the kids interact.
Alex got some hilarious glasses in his goody bag and HAD to wear them immediately!
Alex got some hilarious glasses in his goody bag and HAD to wear them immediately!
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