Waiting for Spring

We've gotten a few glimpses, but we are still waiting for Spring to arrive in New York.  So I thought I would share a few images from our Winter.  We spent a lot of time at home this winter curled up by the fireplace, settling in to our new home.  At times we were incredibly bored, remembering times where we could just pack up the stroller and see what adventures came our way on the streets of Manhattan.  Other times, it felt nice to stretch out and play inside without cabin fever setting in. 

Mark is the best fire-maker.  He makes 'em hot!
Lyla had so much fun playing in the snow in our backyard. She looks like a pink highlighter on white paper.
Our little cottage
 
My snow angel Sledding was better this year than a couple of years ago! Lyla helped with our chalkboard wall (huge mess but it came out pretty good!) Jack just watched and looked cute We are definitely ready for you Spring!

Lyla is Four!

Lyla's birthday came and went and I didn't acknowledge it here on the blog. In her four years, she has taught me so much about myself. I continue to learn from her observations, curiousity and self-assuredness. From the serious (asking why the flags were at half-mast after the Newtown shooting) to the frivolous (helping me edit my closet by asking "do you where that a lot or a little? If just a little, get rid of it."), she manages to bring our relationship to a deeper, more meaningful level without ever realizing it.
 

{A Home Depot tool belt for her birthday} In typical fashion, the birthday party discussion was a big deal. Did she want one? Yes. At home or at a party place? At home. What theme? Let's discuss...We pored over party planning catalogs and websites to choose a theme. One day it was rainbows, the next day it was cowboys, then it was under the sea. She finally settled on camping. I don't know how she came up with that. My best guess is that she figured out you eat s'mores when you are camping and Lyla is a big fan of marshmallows. So, Camp Lyla was born. We hung trees in the play room with a big green rug and a campfire. We painted birdhouses and made trail mix. We had Tim Kubart come for a singalong and the kids had a blast. By the campfire Moms snapping away at kids by the campfire Lyla had such a good time with the music. Can you tell? Jack got in on the fun too! Best family shot we could get. The best part of any party is the after-party, of course. So the family hung around after all the friends left and continued the party into the evening. Just the cousins! Jack is so happy to be in the mix! Dennis and Jack bonded that day. Brian asleep on the couch. Always a sign of a good party! Lyla opened her presents and Dylan kept the gift list. We joked that they will be doing this for each other's bridal showers someday! Scary to think about! And that's a wrap! Lyla decided that next year's party is "Africa"...not sure what she has planned for that.

Look Who's Sitting!

Jack started sitting "for real" about two weeks ago. Before that, I would mold him into various positions to give the impression that he was sitting on his own -- propped up on a toy, wedged around a few pillows or the classic "tripod" sit. But now he is legit. You can plop him down just about anywhere and he will sit...until he tumbles over. It's funny to say, but his attitude totally changed once he was sitting. He found his mojo and he was pleased with himself. But in classic Giles fashion, satisfaction with his accomplishment did not last long. Now, Jack just wants to crawl. He rolls, he flops, he army scoots, he arches his back, he cliff dives off the bed (yes, he has), he does anything he can to get from point A to B. Whatever it takes, Jack just wants to move. My guess is that he is crawling in a week. Slow down, baby!