Gavin at his friend Lucas' birthday

Fall photos

 Gavin jumping in a pile of leaves that he raked

Finn playing the guitar at Thanksgiving

Xmas photos

Finn & Santa

Lucia & Daddy at the Sleepy Hollow Xmas brunch

Finn, savoring a Xmas cookie

Gavin, at the St. Luke's Xmas celebration with his friends

Halloween

The kids were *so* excited to go to Thomas' office for the annual Halloween party.  

On the actual night, Finn decided to wear his Batman costume and Gavin went as a red power ranger.

Soccer

Gavin, showing off the trophy he received for showing up on trophy day.  He's very proud of it.

With his buddy Colten

Finn & Lucia, in a rare soccer-like moment.  They're sporting the polyester Adidas track suits Daddy bought for them. 

The new machines

Gavin's latest inventions:

The Tucia-rini
Turns Lucia into a baby so that she can't make a wish (and thus doesn't get any gifts) when she blows out her birthday candles.  Oh yeah, and she stays 2 years old.

The Bucia-nator
Turns Lucia into a bunny when she blows out the candles on her birthday cake

The Salami-nator
Inexcplicably turns mommy into a (tasty) salami

at waveny park

Lucia's Turn

After seeing all the attention Finn has been getting, Lucia decided it was time to get serious.  She peed in the potty twice today!  The second time, she toddled off to the toilet all by herself.  Unfortunately, she forgot to take off her underwear...but technically she did pee in the potty!

Help, we're trapped!

He did it!

This evening, Finn peed in the potty for the first time, and standing up!  He was so proud of himself, as were his parents... 

The Lucia-nator

Gavin has lately become obsessed with building something he calls "the lucia-nator."  Turns out it is a machine to blow up and/or destroy his little sister :-(

Monhegan Island

One of the highlights of our trip to Maine was two nights on Monhegan Island.  So beautiful, despite the torrential rain.

Here is Finn at his impish best.  We went on a bunch of hikes and when he was not riding on daddy's shoulders, he was eagerly foraging for blackberries.

Lucia and her daddy, toasting the gorgeous scenery.  We've discovered that she is not a fan of the great outdoors and insisted on be carried on her hikes.

Gavin found instant popularity by collecting dandelions and gifting them to various surprised tourists and waiters.

Renovating a fairy house on Cathedral Walk

Although it looks like they're playing hockey, they are actually vaccumming.  Not sure what that means...

The Three Little Piggies

A few nights ago we told Lucia the Three Little Piggies story for the first time.  Our little peacenik is now insisting that the story be told without all the huffing and puffing.  Instead, the big bad wolf is "very happy and just wants to talk."

At the mall

Bye Bye Crib!

Last night Lucia climbed out of her crib (a first) and slept in her Big Girl Bed for the first time.  She insisted on leaving the winter comforter on the bed and refused to let me put sheets on it.

(Confession:  this is a photo GungGung took two weeks ago)

PohPoh and GungGung

We've had houseguests recently...Pohpoh and GungGung were here for Chris & Kristin's wedding and Tammy's bridal shower!

When hes not watching CNN, this is what GungGung does

Here is everyone celebrating GungGung's 70th birthday

Summer Fun

Gavin went to Sesame Place with his friends Evan and Emi

The twins stayed at home and played with their Play-doh. Finn likes to tear it into tiny bits. Lulu likes to roll it into snakes.

Megablocks

The kids all love those big lego-like blocks these days.

Here's what they're building:

- Finn: a giant tower

- Gavin: a house for Dora/Diego/stuffed animal, complete with a moveable door and spacious attached garage

- Lucia: inexplicably, a pink and purple potty for her stuffed kitty cat

Nightmares

Sometimes we hear Lucia screaming out in her sleep when she is having a bad dream. Here's what she says:

"ITS MINE!!!"

Finn in the news!

Finn makes it into the local newspaper/website, at the Memorial Day "on the farm" event, where he got to sit in a bunch of diggers

http://darien.patch.com/articles/curiosity-and-close-encounters-with-farm-animals-2#photo-444277

Finn

Here is Finn in one of his feistier moods. He's still so tiny he fits into his 6-12 month shorts from last summer!

In a calmer moment...

Ni hao

Yesterday we tried out a new Korean/Japanese restaurant. Upon entering, Gavin greeted the staff with "ni-hao". Well, it turns out they all spoke chinese! Thanks to his two years of chinese school he was actually able to have a (very brief) conversation with them about his age. He was very proud of himself.

Knock, knock

Gavin loves knock knock jokes. Here's one he made up himself!

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Mac
Mac who?
Macaroni and cheese (his favorite food)!!

Self-portrait of the Artist as a Young Boy

This the first drawing Gavin has done that is more than a bunch of scribbles.

He's also recently developed an interest in photography. Here are some recent photos of his favorite things (his feet and his dog).