Weekend in CT

Last weekend we packed up the car and headed to CT to spend the weekend with Mike's cousin Dan and his wife Jaymie. They enticed us by promising to take care of the kids while we could go out and have some alone time, and when we got there they treated us like we were VIP guests! Jaymie and Dan are great hosts, and we really didn't need to be coaxed into a visit, but I have to say it was REALLY nice getting to use their spa size bath tub... complete with jets and all.

Vince got to "play" with his cousins Zach and Lexi. I put play in quotations because he mainly just whined/screamed and tried to hoard all the trains from Zach's table the whole time.
It was pretty frustrating. I'd say he is getting a little better about the whole sharing thing, but it's still a challenge for us. He got his share of time outs that's for sure. Jaymie is going to invite Vince back for a 'Brino bootcamp'...to shape him up!

The cousins having some Playdoh time

Vince and Zoë ride the laundry basket together

We also spent some time visiting Aunt Ninucci, she was so happy to see Vince and meet Zoë. Apparently when Dan told her we were coming over to visit, she didn't know who it was and kept saying no, that she didn't want any visitors. After several re-explanations, she finally figured out who was coming with their babies and then she was all excited. It was at her house that Mike's Uncle Tony took a look at Vince and then says "oh, it's a German baby" (guess he was hoping for more Italian?! haha!)

Mike with Vince and Zoë, Aunt Ninucci, and Zach

Pumpkin Patch Weekend

Last weekend we had a great time at Smolak Farms with our friends the Ottavianos and Keatings, and Vince was able to wear his Cat in the Hat costume yet again. This time he was even able to trick or treat on a hayride!

First stop, the farm store for some cider doughnuts and pumpkin cookies. Not the ideal breakfast for a 2 year old, but a treat for our weekend

OK, now time to get to work and find pumpkins!!

Zoë chose to take a snooze in the stroller and let her brother pick her pumpkin out

Vince slowly transforming into the Cat in the Hat

Time to load up the pumpkins!!

Wait a minute... why did Mom and Dad load me and Zoë up with the pumpkins too! What? I'm supposed to hold my little sister? (That would require touching her and Vince wasn't interested at that moment)

The ever difficult to get 'family picture'

Ok, time for the Trick or Treat Hayride!! We made sure to be the first ones on the hayride

Vince is ready to barter his bus for some candy!

The hayride made stops along the apple orchard where characters were dressed up in costume, giving candy to the kids on the hayride. It only took a few times and the kids figured out to hold their bags out and they would get some candy! Vince's buddy Aaron was giving his candy to the characters at first, what a nice little guy!! It didn't take him long to realize it was supposed to be the other way around

Exploring Around Boston

We celebrated Mike's birthday the weekend of October 1st, and he wanted a kid free day to explore the John Adams Historical Park. It's right next to us in the town of Quincy, but I learned that it all used to be called Braintree. When you visit the park and museum, it says that John Adams was born in Braintree. So take that Quincy!

It was DEFINITELY no place to take a toddler and 3 month old, I wouldn't recommend it. The tour gives you the opportunity to go inside the house where John Adams was born and grew up, and as you walk through you listen to stories of John Adams father and how he came over from England very poor and how he built himself up as a cobbler.

Below is the birth place of our second US President John Adams (you can't take any pictures inside the house), his father purchased this house because it was next to the main road up to Boston.... and he could get business selling and repairing shoes. Later he became a tax collector, and farmer, among other trades.

Birth place of our 6th US President John Quincy Adams, this house is right next door to where John Adams was born. Both houses still standing, and renovated to look as it did in the 1700's.

Below is the Peacefield House, also called The Old House, built in 1731, it became the residence of the Adams family for four generations from 1788 to 1927. It was home to Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams; First Ladies Abigail and Louisa Catherine Adams; Civil War Minister to Great Britain Charles Francis Adams; and literary historians Henry and Brooks Adams.

Mike has been on this tour before, and ever since I've lived here in Boston, he's told me about how you can tour this house and see all the original furniture/utensils/household items that were used by the Adams Families. In particular, he always talked about "The Chair".... the chair that John Adams passed away in. It's still in the same room, in the same place that it has been since he passed away in it on Independence Day in 1826. As he lay passing away, he muttered the words "Thomas Jefferson survives"... little did he know that just a few hours earlier Thomas Jefferson had passed away in his Virginia home..... both architects of the document that gave birth to this Nation dead, 50 years to the day from the birth of the country they founded.

Vince got his costume today

Vince decided to wear his Halloween costume all day today, here we are at Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt... and he's convinced he's Cat In the Hat. Of course we had fun flaunting our super cute son and decided to walk all around the outside mall area so people could get a good laugh, and say how cute he was. Boy did Vince draw up a nice crowd!

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I'm 3 Months Old!

Fun things about having a little girl:
1) dressing her up in super cute clothes!
2)receiving super cute clothes as gifts, so I can do #1 above
3)imagining all the mother daughter bonding that is ahead and all the fun girl things we can do as Zoë gets older
4)having more girl power in the house!

Zoë is 3 months old today, and we celebrated by spending some time with the Nanny that is going to care for the kids when I go back to work. We found 2 wonderful Nannies that we think are going to work out just fine. One will take 2 days a week, and the other will take 1 day a week. Part of me was hoping it would be harder to find someone because then I might have to push off my start date for work. But alas, it was way too easy.

It's been an easier 3 months than I could have imagined. Zoë sleeps like a super baby... giving me 6-7 hours at a time from the first couple weeks! Even with that luxury however, I find myself totally exhausted at the end of every day.

She's such an alert little baby; holding her head better and better each day, and her smiles are getting bigger and happier... and she's starting to coo and talk to me so much!!

Even at 3 months she's got herself a boyfriend! Below is Vince's buddy Max, who has fallen in love with Zoë from the moment he saw her. It's the cutest thing in the world! When we go over to visit, he puts his head on her tummy and looks up at her with mushy eyes, giving her little gentle hugs and smiles. We've already been talking about their marriage haha!


Big brother Vince gives her tickles on her toes, and little kisses on her head...

Apple Picking Extravaganza

A few days before we left for LA, we had a great time apple picking at Honey Pot Farms. We picked so many apples they were coming out of our ears! After 3 apple pies, 2 French apple cobblers, "Snow White Apple Crisp" (from my awesome Brady Bunch Cookbook), and a batch of applesauce that is now cooking in my crock pot...... I can finally say I've used them all up. Needless to say, all our closest neighbors within a 3 house radius have benefited from my apple baking frenzy! (You didn't think we'd eat all of that did you?!)

Vince was our major apple picker of the day

Getting to work

More LA pictures

I'm not able to post all the pictures I took from LA due to the fact that I forgot to take the camera bag home with me!! Oops! Thanks to Kathryn, our ever so important and wonderful travel buddy, I have a few pictures to show until my mom sends out all the things I left behind.

On our Way to California, Zoë's first flight!

We spent the first day at the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, Vince had fun painting on the water wall; and then of course there's no more fun to be had than organizing dinosaurs on a bench.


No trip to LA would be complete without going to Pink's Hot Dogs on N. La Brea Blvd (especially when you have a boy who LOVES hot dogs!) We decided the chilly cheese fries were the best thing about this place. Vince gave the thumbs up to the hot dogs.

Fun at Glenoaks Park

He's riding a giant cricket! I managed to get on as well in the spot behind him but saved you all from that picture