Dress Up with Mommy

The boys were off playing dragon or something tonight, so Elizabeth and Mommy had a good bought of dress up. It was fun and oh so cute. We filled our purses with all the treasures we would need and headed out to the store......Wegman's (we'll have to teach Liz about better stores - she's lured by their free cookies now)

She was strutting her stuff big time for the camera.

What a helper

Patrick was intrigued by the sink full of suds after dinner tonight and offered to wash the muffin tins that I had soaking. He only needed a little guidance from me and did a great job. And, my kitchen wasn't soaked when he was through.

Happy Birthday Daddy and Grandpa

Today was Daddy and Grandpa's birthday. We had a great celebration. They were both excited about being in a good spot because West Virginia won and we all enjoyed a great birthday dinner.
Don't you just love the SU cupcakes?? Here we are, ready to sing. Patrick led the chorus!



Patrick and Elizabeth blew out the candles while Daddy and Grandpa wished for another WVU win this Saturday.

Bungholio

.............looking for his Rolo!

Coloring Easter Eggs

While we were waiting for Grandpa and Linda to come over for birthday dinner we thought it would be a good time to dye Easter eggs.
So Mom went digging through the dress up bucket looking for Easter Bunny ears for the kids to wear while they were dying eggs. Patrick somehow thought this meant that he should put anything on from the dress up bucket......hence, the Batman mask.
Elizabeth wasn't too into wearing ears or being a flower, so Mom thought that the birthday boy would make a good flower. Then she got the kids to tell him he was a beautiful pansy :)
There's my beautiful flower!

Let's Go Orange!

Today was a super busy day. We celebrated Daddy and Grandpa's birthday with SU themed cupcakes. Elizabeth was a great and careful helper when it came time to make the orange frosting.

1-2-3!!

I just thought this was a cute picture.......since Elizabeth is three. This was at the movie theater......an ad for Toy Story 3.

Lunch with the Easter Bunny

The fire department that protects our home was having a Lunch with the Easter Bunny today so we decided to head over. It is a good cause and the kids had fun.
They had a great, kid friendly lunch - hot dogs, mac-n-cheese, apple sauce, carrots, and a cookie. Pat and Elizabeth loved it. Bri ate it. Mom watched. Patrick was liking the idea that his lunch was on the same kind of tray that you get when you eat at school.
While we were eating the Easter Bunny was wandering around handing out treat filled eggs.
This is the first year that Patrick will go near the Easter Bunny.
This is the only way we could get Liz to pose with the Easter Bunny. Good thinkin' bunny! After this shot she was giving him the shifty eyes......it was hysterical.
So after lunch the kids had their fill of treats and we just sat together goofing around. It was fun.

PJ Day!

Every once and a while the kids sucker me into letting them wear their pajamas to Sara's for the day. They asked today, so I said yes. While I was running around trying to get ready for work they were snuggled on the couch watching a show. It was just adorable!

Bring on Spring!

Today was a beautiful day - appropriate for the first day of Spring. We dusted off our hiking shoes and headed to Clark Reservation to go for a hike. The kids loved climbing on the rocks, jumping off the rocks, seeing the water and finding giant walking sticks. We took a ton of pictures - I just love taking pictures on sunny days in the woods. Here are the highlights, out of time order but who cares - I am too lazy to go back and fix them.

Yes that is Patrick jumping off a giant rock with a rock in his hand. He is quite a risk taker.........until he scrapes his knee.
As an old man I think Brian will be a hunch back, thanks to all the time that kids spent on his shoulders.

We found a great bunch of moss covered rocks. It was the perfect place for a snack of granola bars and peanut M&M's (thanks for the treat Aunt Di).
And we were even able to get a great family shot on our rocks......thanks passer-by's.

Patrick was show off his independence and big-boy-ness by scurrying right up all the rocks.
Lizzie Lou just loves her walking sticks. Tried to get her to do the old lady but she wasn't having it.

Can you tell that we had a blast!?! It was a wonderful day. Can't wait to get out and have more just like it!

Rusty Wash

After work today I stupidly let Rusty run around off the leash until Brian came home. Since the yard is all muddy he needed a bath. Elizabeth was insistent that she help Daddy......pretty funny considering when she is outside she doesn't like to take her hands out of her pockets unless she is REALLY distracted.

Making Dinner

We got home from school and work tonight and Patrick informed me that he was going to make his own dinner. I reminded him about healthy choices. He nodded agreeably and went to work building his dinner.....including unwrapping everything and getting his own plate (it was in a high cabinet).
Here it is - Pepper sticks (he pulled the pepper out and asked me to cut it since he can't use a sharp knife), a granola bar and a cheese stick. Not too bad.
Scouting the frig for healthy choices.

Little Leprechauns

So we had great intentions of having a fun family day this Saturday. We started out great.......headed to friends for a breakfast, before the parade get together. Then we picked up Grandpa and headed down town for the parade.
It was really windy downtown, so this is the only picture we got of all the festivities. I couldn't help but think about how nice it was last year. I guess that is what you get for being in Syracuse in March. We enjoyed the parade for a while.....until the wind and unwillingness of Mom and Dad to buy over-priced, cheaply made toys invited the tears. For about an hour we hung out with family, danced to the bands and soaked up the sights. After dropping Grandpa home we took a family nap before heading to a St. Patrick's party at Ciochi's house. Dad, Pat, and Sis had fun but Mom ended up being bitten by the stomach bug that Patrick had earlier in the week and was curled up in bed. Better luck next year I suppose.

Crazy Cousins

We went to Pam and Rich's to play cards tonight. Elizabeth and Megan played for hours together. For a while they were playing chase with Kelley and her boyfriend, Dan, until the two locked themselves in a room. So, the girls schemed how to get them out......Megan to Elizabeth, "Sissy, PULL, hard. No wait, grab my braid and PULL!" And, of course, Elizabeth did. Over and over and over. Too bad the two were pulling the door even more shut!! Ivy league??

Chips Off The Old Block

Friday night fun in the Louer house, Mommy style........


Patrick and Elizabeth did this all on their own. "Cleaned" the whole bathroom. It wasn't too bad considering they used handtowels and wet wads of toilet paper!

Da, Da, Da, Da, DORA!!

Ok, so I loaded the pictures backwards. Tonight we went to see Nickelodeon Live with DORA!! She is Elizabeth's favorite, and she was dressed as a Princess to boot! The show was great......Wonder Pets, Backyardigans, and Ni Hao Ki Lan. Patrick really liked the Wonder Pets story because it was an Alice in Wonderland story - he is lobbying for us to take him to see the newly released Alice. After the show we went to Clark's for a roast beef sandwich. Daddy is getting geared up for the St. Patrick's Day parade. Clark's is always a stop for this bunch. While we were waiting for the food the kids and I were playing around with the camera.....these are the two cutest!
I just love my Lizzie Lou!
I wasn't like the other parents around us in the nose bleed seats video taping the show (come on people!), but did have to get a picture for Elizabeth to remember the fun times.