Go Patriots!

I have been working with the girls on their "Go Patriots!" exclamations. Since the AFC and NFC Championship game, every time I put Evelyn in her Patriots sweatshirt I say to her "Ready to go make some friends?" Thankfully, I haven't heard anyone give her too much grief for her allegiance. Me wearing my Patriots hat on campus on the other hand... Enjoy the girls' game faces and Patriots pride (complete with high-fives!)

MLK - OK Style

We had a nice time celebrating MLK weekend with some Peace Corps friends in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We certainly had an eventful trip. Sydney face-planted on cement our first afternoon there and scraped up her lip and face quite impressively. She was very brave about the whole thing and could not have been in too much pain because she jumped at the chance to join Lucy Claire's ballet class the next afternoon.

Here is a nice "before" picture - Sydney got her first haircut the next day.

Sydney's first hair cut!!! (She got 8" cut off so she could donate it)

Sydney's post-haircut princess braid (a major selling point for why it was a good idea to cut her hair)

The "big" kids with their haircuts and Evelyn wondering when her number will get called. I'm not sure we'll be able to wait for the 8" since she seems to have an aversion to hair elastics and barrettes. Thankfully, she likes to wear hats!

Leah

Sydney's newly improved shorter pig tails (or piggy tails as she calls them)

We celebrated Mindy's bigi yari a little early

Bfast at the kids' table

The kid contingent

The whole group

Christmas and New Year's

We spent Christmas and New Year's with family on Long Island and in Rhode Island. Here are the Top 30 pics from the events of the last couple of weeks. Sydney had her festival of light celebration at school. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Munzes. We enjoyed the 4th annual bake off versus Joshua's siblings (this year was non-dessert pies). We went into NYC and went to the World Trade Center Memorial. We enjoyed a visit with my Aunt (sorry there are no photos!) We headed to RI and enjoyed a second Christmas celebration with Jon, Kim, Ryan and Erin before breaking in the New Year - New Year's in Barcelona style - (so we could celebrate with the girls at 6pm instead of midnight). We were happy to visit with my grandmother and are sorry we forgot to bring our camera for that visit. Enjoy the best of pics...

Sydney's Snowperson is doing a backbend!

New puppet theater from Nana and Papa (with a nod to Joshua for assembly)

Evelyn is quite the harmonica player - just ask other passengers on the LIRR

New Year's Rockin' Eve

We were fancy for the pre-party and the toast and then went casual for dinner. Evelyn is showing off her counting down skills in the video below.

Happy 2012!

Santa Lucia Weekend/Party/Day

Last year, there were a couple of reasons why we did not host our Annual Santa Lucia party. First, we didn't have many friends here. Second, Joshua headed down to Baltimore to help our friends Mike and Maureen who were welcoming baby Leah into the world (and trying to occupy their 2 year old, Maddie). This year, we made up for lost time. We hosted Peace Corps friends Mike, Maureen, Maddie, and Leah and grad school friends Bo and Catherine for the weekend. On Saturday the 10th we had our Santa Lucia party complete with friends we've made here in the Mid-Hudson. Then, on the 13th, we celebrated Santa Lucia as a family of four. Here are the photos to prove it.

A new Santa Lucia tradition? Thanks to Bo and Catherine for these great Star Wars pancake molds!

Most of the party goers (Joshua is taking the picture). Ashley Bodie - those are still your lyrics on the wall!

My colleague Gregg, his wife Nadine, and their kiddos Eamon and Nora

Leah

Costume hi-jinx

Evelyn and Stephanie (Evelyn's big brother Ronan goes to school with Sydney)

Catherine and Bo

Fuzzy hat and dominoes...you gotta love it!

The Evelyns (who will be in the same class next year).

Maureen, Evelyn & Leah

Evelyn enjoying some quality Catherine time (and maybe vice versa)

Evelyn loves to say "Bo..." with a nice dragged out oooooooh.

We celebrated Leah's first birthday!

Evelyn showing Leah the ropes with corn on the cob

This is Santa Lucia Day morning. Evelyn would not let go of any of her three cookies, not even for a second. She was basically living the dream.

Mmmmm, Lucia Day treats...my belly sure is full!

 

Learning the story of Santa Lucia from Joshua. Reading this story helped Sydney learn 2 verses in a week (see video below). Even Evelyn was getting the hang of the melody.