Mothers' Day Tea

As a special Mothers' Day treat, Simone, mommy, daddy, grammy, Aunt Suzy, and her daughter Kamryne went for high tea at an old Victorian Tea Room up in Pennsylvania.  The girls had a blast eating finger sandwiches, sipping tea, and trying on all the fancy hats. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, and the very BEST part of being a mommy!

Nesquehoning Fishing Contest

Despite a very damp, rainy day Saturday Simone got to participate in her first fishing contest near grammy and pop's house with all of her cousins.  It was her very first time fishing ever.  And she had an amazing time!  

 At first, I think she thought fishing would be a bit more exciting than sitting around holding a pole.

But it wasn't long before she got a bite and reeled in her very first fish!  I got part of it on video, which I just love.  Simone is actually a pretty stoic kid particularly when she is impressed or excited.  But the shriek she let out while reeling in this fish-- although brief--  is possibly the most outwardly excited I've ever heard her.  Just sheer joy.  She quickly recomposed herself, but you could tell she just couldn't be more thrilled.  She was smiles ear to ear!

She didn't hesitate one bit in touching her fish.  She was curious about it's slimy texture.

She also didn't mind touching and playing with the worms, although daddy needed to bait her hooks.

In the end the girls only caught all of two fish, but the whole experience was super fun nonetheless.

And they finished the contest with hotdogs and chips before heading back home to play. Simone loved it and is ready to go fishing again!

Happy Easter!

Simone had a super surprise for Easter this year.  She was expecting Grammy and Pop to join us for the weekend, but she didn't know they were bringing her cousin Seleste -- and that changed everything!  She had a playmate for all the things that make Easter special, and she loved it. 

At Easter brunch.

Decorating Easter eggs on Good Friday -- in princess costumes, of course!

 The flashlight Easter egg hunt in our backyard....

A pose with Pop.  Grammy made matching pink nightgowns for both girls AND their bitty baby dolls.  Too cute.

 Getting the basket blessed on Holy Saturday.

Simone's Easter basket.  The bunny brought a fishing pole for the contest in May.  Simone can't wait to catch her first fish.

Both girls in their Easter best.

Beverly (the restaurant owner) had her staff hide eggs especially for Simone and Seleste to hunt for while we waited for brunch to be served.

A shot of yummy.

And finally... some hugs with Grammy.  The girls were so busy playing with each other all weekend that hugs were few and far between.  Grammy stole most of them!

Spring Is On The Way...

With Easter a little early this year, our community egg hunt happened today before any of the cherry blossoms or any other signs of spring arrived.  Gotta admit that it didn't feel quite right, but at least it got us starting to think about Easter. 

 Simone made us super proud of her kindness and generosity at the event.  Unlike just about all of the other kids, Simone adhered strictly to the 10 eggs per child rule despite seeing other kids' baskets filled to the brim. Then, as we were walking away, she noticed a toddler who had no eggs in her basket and she reached down and put three of her eggs into the little girl's basket.  It was so sweet.  She does indeed have a kind heart.

She then politely waited her turn to touch the animals at the petting zoo.  The bunny was her favorite.

It was a very nice morning.  Although it was overcast, the temperature was mild and the rain held out until after we were through.  We are definitely ready for spring.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Simone has been preparing for Tony's birthday for several weeks, and it finally arrived. To celebrate, we had dinner at Ford's Fish Shack, and then came home for cake and presents.  Simone worked very hard to make it special, as well as keep all the plans a secret.  She also Skyped her cousins in to sing happy birthday to daddy.  And, in addition to several homemade drawings and cards, she made this very special video as a present for Tony.  He totally loved it and wanted to share it with all of you.

Yes, for those who notice, the hat is all disheveled because mommy dug it out of daddy's closet and couldn't figure our how to put it together. Hence, it's kind of just hanging there. LOL! 

And speaking of hats, Simone also made a birthday crown for daddy-- a requirement for any proper birthday party, of course.

and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

 Well, we ended our holidays with great merriment.  Over the weekend we got more snow.  And although it was too powdery for snowmen, there was plenty enough for some very fun sledding.  It didn't take long to get a good track going and Simone and her cousin Jack were off!

Tony in his most dreaded state ...snow. But don't let him fool you,  he had tons of fun too.

Sledding was super fun and had it not been for a minor crash on the last run, I'm not sure we would have ever convinced the kids to come in.  They just couldn't get enough.

And for the grand finale...  we rang in the new year with a quiet day/night at home.  During the late afternoon we had a New Year's Rockin Eve Junior party with sparkling cider and a masquerade freeze dance contest for the kids.  

And later that night we spent the evening with a small group of family -- snacks, cocktails, and conversation, reminiscing about times gone by.  Simone made it all the way to midnight because she wanted to take a picture of the ball dropping in Times Square on her ipad.  And she was successful indeed.  

GOODBYE 2012, Here we go 2013!!!!!!!