Happy 2nd Birthday Home Sweet Home

Dear House,

Happy 2nd Birthday. Two years ago tonight, you became our home sweet home. The movers had just left. We were surrounded by boxes and filled with giddy excitement. You were perfect. During the past two years, inside your walls, so much has happened. You became even more perfect with the addition of a patio where footballs games are watched, fish are fed, marshmallows are roasted and bikes are ridden. And your basement is a child's dream complete with a playhouse, a play kitchen, crafts galore, a dressing room and a stage. And there is even a big screen, a workout room, and a bar for the adults too! (Pop outdid himself again).

We designed you to be welcoming and open, because we want you to always be filled with our family and friends. You have hosted the most amazing parties, the first when you were only six weeks old. Isabella was baptized and we had our first of many parties. Everyone oohed and aahed over you and the baby too! There have been cozy Christmas parties, a Superhero bash complete with Spiderman and kids in capes, a neighborhood block party ("sure we are the new people, we would love to host"), two baby showers, a lot of happy hours, bookclubs, dinners and playdates, and most recently a Garden Party that was the talk of the town. I have a sign in your kitchen that says "Sit Long - Talk Much." Your openness allows for just that.

I noticed just the other day that whenever I tell anyone my favorite part of you it is always a different spot. Sometimes it is the front porch where I like to sit and drink my coffee on summer mornings. Sometimes it is the family room where we have family movie nights and fires in the fireplace almost every night in the winter. Sometimes it is Alex or Isabella's room because I spend some of my most precious moments in those rooms reading and singing to my babies. Sometimes it is my kitchen because in my family, as in many families, it is the heart of our house. It is where we congregate and eat and drink and sit and talk.

In the past two years you have had some bumps and bruises. Your floors have some scratches and have been victim of many spills. Your walls have been dinged and even written on a time or two. (No worries though, Isabella now repeats the mantra..."I write only on the paper"). But to me, these imperfections do not make you imperfect. In many ways they make you even more of a home. You are lived in, loved in, fought in, played in, slept in, danced in....inside you we are making memories and living a life that most can only dream of living. Thank you for the memories we have made and for being the place we will call Home Sweet Home for many, many years to come.

Jamie

Isabella's First Day of School

Two years ago on this day, Isabella was a week old. Alex was starting Two and You preschool and Isabella went with him on his first day. She slept the whole time in her infant carrier. You never even knew she was there.

FAST forward, I do mean FAST, today Isabella started preschool. She was so excited - she has been waiting for this day for a year and especially the past couple days when we dropped Alex off each morning...she said, "I go school now." This morning she woke up and it was finally her day to start school. She peed on the potty (a fluke I am sure, but exciting nonetheless). We got dressed and ate breakfast, snapped lots of pictures, and then we were off.

She walked into that school as if she owned the place. And on her first day of preschool, Isabella was impossible to ignore. She went to her classroom and played with the dolls, the play-doh, and the kitchen. She colored, although she was a little upset that Miss Sally didn't have a pink crayon. She sat front and center during story time. She ran from activity to activity on the playground. She ate her snack and drank several cups of water saying, "more, please." And my favorite part of the day was Music Time. She danced and sang her little heart out. Miss Sally will never have to sing alone as long as Isabella is in the class.

I was a little nervous signing Isabella up for school. She just turned two. I was worried she would be too young. But she loved every second of it. She was in her element. Over the course of the morning, I saw her show traits of independence, confidence and friendliness. I am so proud of my baby, I mean my big, girl!

Ravens Fans!

Every year since Alex was born, we have taken a picture of Jay and him on the day of the first Raven's game of the season. Here are my Raven's fans!

2010

2009
2008

2007

2006

End of Summer...

I can't believe that summer is over. It went by in a blink of an eye. As I sit here and type at 8pm, it is already dark outside. Gone are the long days, the splashing in the pool and the toes in the sand. Hello to school days, Soccer Saturdays, and Ravens football. Tomorrow is officially the last day of summer for our family. On Monday, our lives are going to be forever changed. Alex will be in school five mornings a week. And even though he will be home in the afternoons (except Friday when he has chosen to stay at school all day to learn math and science), this is the first time in his life he will be away from me at least some of every week day. This is the first time in his life when he is going to have to get up early everyday. I call him my little teenager, because he loves to sleep in, so this is going to be quite an adjustment. But he is ready....me? not so much.

Today we welcomed fall with soccer and sunflowers. Alex had his first day of soccer. He is on Team New York, and he really hustled out there. Then we met Mason, Preslee and Finley at this farm that had the most stunning field of sunflowers. We tried to get some pictures, but the kids were more interested in playing hide-and-seek among the tall stalks. And then just because we wanted to hold onto summer a little longer, we took all the kids for homemade ice cream at a little farm stand. It was a perfectly beautiful ending to another amazing summer.

Quotes of the Day

Isabella: Mommy. Look. I running too BIG. (I think she meant fast).

Alex and I were talking about body parts...

Me: The lungs help you breathe. And the liver...
Alex: helps you live.
Me: The heart pumps blood through the body.
Alex: My heart makes me love people.

Isabella is 2!

Today Isabella told me, "I be 2 in September." Yes, baby girl you are right. Today is September 1st and you are 2!