Spring in New England ...

(This is what happens when your toddlers get together while Mommy is prepping dinner ... I knew they were too quiet ...)

So as it goes, Spring in New England leaves us all with the quandry ... do I pack up the winter clothes and drag out the shorts?? This past week we have had wonderful weather ranging from mid 60's to mid 80's, I myself prefer the mid 70's. But we all know, don't hold your breath, it's still the end of April so we will still need the long sleeves and maybe even a sweatshirt in the upcoming weeks. But despite the schizophrenic temperatures one thing is certain, spring in New England is here ... the forsythia has bloomed and the trees are budding. And ... TAX SEASON is OVER! So yes, I have a bit more pep in my step. Actually our entire household does. It's wonderful to have Rob home and to get to spend some long overdue family time together. The very first thing we did when April 15th passed ... a night out in Providence sans children. And I am not saying a few hours, nope we did it right. We spent an overnight out in Providence -- hotel and all. We enjoyed many rounds of drinks with the Tofias crew, it was fun and easy. Something Rob hadn't been able to do in awhile so I know he was happy to play darts, drink free beer, and eat bar room apps for a few hours. We then joined Nikki and Jon for a chic night out at Ten, a sushi/steak house with lots of fun drinks. We ordered the full gamut of their specialties and it was yuuuuummmy! We had so much fun ... felt like the NU days with Nikki ... and Jon fits right into that picture :) Rob and I embibed a bit too much and felt the effects the next morning but we were able to sleep as long as we needed because the girls did excellent on their sleep over at Renee's! We are so lucky to have her and that the girls are well adjusted to spend the night with out us. It felt wonderful but I will admit is was also a bit odd, I kept thinking I am supposed to be doing something ... but it was good and reassuring. We are hoping to do that again soon!

We also celebrated Emma's birthday with a princess party ... she loved it and it is so nice to get all of the kids and our friends and family together. We got very lucky that we had super nice weather and the kids got to play outside! Here are some snip-its from life with the 3 year old:

• Emma to Mommy when I went to hug her after a mid day nap - "Mommy, you just had coffee go brush your teeth" (Oh the brutal honesty!)
• Emma to Daddy (when I brought Julia to the grocery store with out her) "Daddy when I grow up I am going to bring Julia to the grocery store, put her in the shopping cart, buy coffee and chew gum"
• RaRa to Emma when she parked the car to find Emma's arm out of the car seat strap: "What happened here Emma?" Emma's response "Magic"
• Tonight we heard pitterpattering upstairs in Emma's room, lights now also turned on
  (which we shut off at 7:40), walk in to find Emma full on dressed up with bangle bracelets, dresses all over her bed, shoes scattered everywhere and her closet door and light turned on, and her response "I'm a princess".

And to wrap up this somewhat lofty post about Spring ... Miss Julia is on the move, she can walk when she wants to, and is actually very smooth too, but she's a girl who beats to her own drum and chooses to walk on her knees 99% of the time. But I tell you it's so cute to see her take those steps, I just want to squeeze her cheeks! We will post a video soon. She is also becoming very fond of a blankie, she is known as Swiper around our house because she will quickly take anything from Emma as soon as Emma turns away, even Mr. Green. And Julia will hold on tight then lay on top of it to keep it away from Emma. Sibling rivalry at it's best.

New design ...

Despite our recent internet debacles ... we can not figure out if it is the country internet service provider or the outdated home computer we have but for some reason our service is so stinking dodgy it makes me want to scream! Regardless, I would like to introduce the new look to our blog. I think it's fun! Thank you to Kerri for always finding the coolest web stuff! This blog thing is becoming a bit of a hobby for me! It feels easy ... not any pressure to write or have anyone respond, just a way to share with you all and for you to check in when you can.

So there will be some down time between me reconfiguring the old stuff and integrating the new but here it is: the new CityGirl CountryBoy+2 design....

Happy 3rd Birthday, Emma!

Emma turned 3 last week, she is very much into the princess phase which means everyone else must be too! We enjoyed a few birthday celebrations (as any fabulous girl should have!) -- ice cream cake at RaRa and PopPop's, Chuck E. Cheese's with her friends Maddie, Gracie, Quinn and Ethan ... and her sis Julia. Then a big princess birthday bash at our house. She was so happy and we had nice weather which always helps. Here is a new slideshow courtesy of Rob's Mom, enjoy!

**Click on the play button to view**

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Spring

Happy Easter and Spring. Wishing you a wonderful season.
Here are some new pictures of the crew. Click on the play button below to view the slideshow. **Also click on the turquoise arrow to move to the next page of the slide**

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

No words

Words can not describe the events of this week. Our dear friend Adrian lost his mother to a heinous act of violence. It is unspeakable, unimaginable, and completety unfair. The family is left with shattered spirits. This week has been filled with questions of how will they cope? Rob, myself, April, Danielle, Neil, Chris and Amanda all travelled to Binghamton to support Adrian through this devastating time. It was a trip none of us wish we had to ever take but also one that showed a bond that runs deep and reminds us that life is precious and the connections you make along the way are so very important. Because in times of tragedy, sadness is carried up by the underlying feeling that you are loved by those who stand in front of you and with you.
Adrian's mother was a pillar in their Ukrainian community and in their family. Her spirit was felt all around and we were privileged to have participated in the most respectful and deep memorial service I have ever known. The services were powerful and deeply touching. The entire church chanted in unison to honor Maria and the 3 hour Mass was a tribute to the unwavering commitment she and her family have made to their Ukrainian Catholic heritage.

We stood there and cried, we hugged, we gave comfort, and now we hope that Adrian, his sisters, his father, and all of their family and friends will somehow be able to piece their life together with out Maria. Our sincerest condolences are with the Zobniw family.

Below you may view pieces of the services:

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=CB&Dato=20090408&Kategori=BINGHAMTONSHOOTING03&Lopenr=904080801&Ref=PH