Henry Homestead

Katie Had a Little Lamb

2012-02-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows Kate also knows Lambie. Lambie is her favorite thing in the whole world.

Well yesterday we got word that Fox Hollow Farm had a new baby lamb. Sadly her momma couldn't produce enough milk to take care of her, so the Scuderi's were bottle feeding the lamb every three hours. They invited the kids over to pet the newest member of their family. The first lamb of the season (Adam) was born about a month ago; however, he was nestled in the back of the barn with his momma. So Kate could only get a glimpse of Adam when he was born. Today, Kate had a front row seat to see four day old Bummer the Lamb (yes, really. my guess is their daughter named the lamb because it was a "bummer" that her mom couldn't take care of her. Regardless of the silly name, Kate absolutely loved petting the lamb. I'm so grateful that the Scuderi family is so welcoming to our kids. They love to go to the farm.

Are we in Maryland anymore??

2012-02-17T21:54:00.001-05:00

I posted a few weeks ago about how mild our winter weather has been this year. Did I sleep through January and February and March, to awaken in April? I keep finding myself asking if I am still in Maryland? I think my dear friend Peggy has been having similar temperatures in L.A. as we've been having in Maryland. Maybe our wind is a little nippier here, and the occasional flurry does awaken us from the dream that winter has disappeared from the calendar completely. But in all my years of living in the Old Line State, I have NEVER experienced such a mild, beautiful winter!! Today I just had to get out in the sunshine and fresh air. So inspite of a little bluster here and there, we ran (or drove as the case may be) as fast as we could to a park to meet up with some friends. Kate, Georgia and Laney quickly settled in on the tire swing, and there they stayed for most of the time we were there. They called it their "girl party", and they screamed and yelled and sang as loud as they could. It was a picture of pure joy! Have at it girls!

While the girls dizzied themselves with laughter and circles, I chased after a very mobile Nathan! That boy is fast! But I loved that he got to get outside and run around today.

I did finally find a way to confine him, but much to my disappointment he wasn't too thrilled with the swing. He was off and running again soon!

So I hear they are calling for snow on Sunday. Snow. What's that? I'll believe it when I see it.

Monday at the Soccerplex!

2012-02-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

We've been going a little stir-crazy. After a weekend of bitter cold weather and arctic blasts of wind, we needed to get out of the house. A friend of mine introduced me to Monday morning playtime at the Soccerplex. The kids can run wild in one of their indoor "fields"; and they have piles of balls, toys, scooters, and fun things for the kids to play with. Here a few fun pics from our morning today:

(not sure if you can see the static in Kate's hair; apparently astro-turf and winter hair are highly incompatible!)

The parachute is always a huge attraction for all the kids. Today my kiddos managed to score a lot of parachute time. And since that usually means mom dragging them around the field, I got a great arm workout too!

After awhile, Kate took over the dragging. Apparently, she can do it better than I can. Of course, she can.

Oh, and time-outs still work at the soccer-plex. Kate found that out a few times this morning! All in all, it was fun morning for everyone. It's nice that they are contained and can feel some freedom to go where they want and do what they want. As long as you dress them in bright colors or vivid patterns as to easily spot them, it is a pretty stress-free morning. Thank goodness!!

Where is the snow?????

2012-02-12T21:17:00.000-05:00

Poor Katie! She has been waiting and waiting for the snow to fall. She wants desparately to make a snow angel and a snow man. She wants to catch snowflakes on the tongue. But the snow has eluded us all winter! We had one day in January when the snow fell for a few minutes, and I scooted the kids out as fast as I could so they could feel snow this winter. I think it was Nathan's first time really being in a snowfall. They enjoyed it, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Kate got the chance to catch a few snowflakes on her tongue. We'll have to wait for another day for snow angels and snowmen.

It did get a little cold, so the kids found shelter in Kate's play house. And after a they had enough, we went inside and made hot chocolate, curled up under blankets, and shared an afternoon snack.

This was a good day.

2012-01-25T22:32:00.000-05:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Sarah on Pinterest

Christmas Sing

2011-12-18T13:53:00.001-05:00

Kate has been practicing her Christmas songs for months now. And today her day to shine finally arrived; it was the Covenant United Methodist Preschool's Annual Christmas Sing. Kate was beside herself with excitment. She practically skipped down the center aisle to her front row stage seat. (Notice the orange heart sticker on her sweater; that is her self-appointed good luck charm for the day.)

This shot is so blurry, I almost didn't even include it. However, you can still see her about to burst she is so excited!

And well now, 8 songs in, she's not so trilled anymore. Is it time for cookies yet?

A Baker in the Making

2011-12-15T15:02:00.000-05:00

Kate loves her baking projects with Mom. So much in fact, that she asks to bake almost everyday. Santa brought her an early Christmas present this year: an apron of her own. Now she can be just like Mommy when she bakes. And we had the perfect project to use her new apron for: gingerbread men cookies!

And Kate even does the dishes!

Santa Train

2011-12-14T22:54:00.000-05:00

Last year my sister-in-law, Debbie, introduced us to the Santa Train. It's an older train in Walkersville, MD, that does about an hour long ride (very slow moving I might add). The kids love being on a train, and this train ride is even more exciting because Santa makes a grand appearance.

We were so impressed with how personable Santa was last year; he spent a good amount of time talking to each of kids. It was a highlight last Christmas, so we decided to go back again this year.

Here the kids are eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival! And I must say, Santa did not disappoint. I really love this Santa. Kate told me today that a "fake" Santa came to her school. I asked her how she knew he was fake? She said because the real Santa was on the train, Mommy!"

Here is Santa trying to explain the intricacies of getting a rocking horse down a chimney. Daddy had to remind Santa that we didn't have a chimney. This news made Santa very happy, as he explained it is much easier when he gets to use the front door.

Of course, it was a lot of fun to just go on a train ride too. Nathan was more interested in the trees going by than he was in Santa. I hope the kids remember these things when they get older. Christmas is really magical when the kids are little.

Make a Wish, Little One

2011-12-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

Kate has so much personality. At times she can be quite challenging, but days like today remind me of how precious she truly is. She brings a wonderful perspective to our family. She embraces moments of absolute joy. She savors every detail of a beautiful life. I hope I can take a lesson from this Little One with whom God has graced our family.

Kate loves to blow dandelion wishes. Josh did a fantastic job capturing her one of her favorite pastimes .

We love you, Little One!

Goodbye Autumn...Hello Christmas

2011-12-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

I was able to capture the last few moments of fall before the cold air blew in for good. One day last week, Josh took advantage of the nice weather and took Kate outside for a few minutes of kite flying. Kate is actually airborne in the first photo.

A friend of ours lives in an older neighborhood with the most beautiful red maple trees. We snapped a few photos knowing the leaves were going to drop to the ground in the next few days. And I was right, by the weekend they were gone. :(

Yesterday, Josh and I bundled the kids up after dinner and headed out the CVS parking lot to see the official lighting of the Montgomery Village Christmas tree. There were musicians playing holiday carols and families huddled together in the cold singing along. The tree was lit and the kids were in awe. Moments after Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived for a surprise visit with the kids. Kate was excited to see them, but very perplexed at where the reindeer and sleigh were parked. Not to mention that Santa looks 25 and so fake. Nothing gets past Kate! (Sorry about the poor picture quality.)

Gingerbread Houses

2011-11-30T21:06:00.000-05:00

Who knew that making a gingerbread house could be so easy? Kate's class made miniature gingerbread houses today, and Mommy was required to go as Kate's sous chef (a role Kate usually plays for me). Kate did a great job putting together her house. She was so creative and so attentive to the details that she wanted to place on her masterpiece. It was a fun way to start off the morning. Now if only the candy would last on the house until Christmas...

Turtle Time!

2011-11-23T14:39:00.000-05:00

Kate's preschool class is called Turtles Class. And anyone that knows us, knows how excited that made Kate and Josh! And if you've been following the blog or Josh's facebook page, you probably know about all the baby turtles that hatched in our backyard this summer. Well, Josh thought it would be fun to take the baby turtles into school for Kate's class to play with. Mrs. Russo said it was the highlight of her week, and I think it was the highlight of Josh's week too. I have to admit the tiny little guys have even captured my heart. I look forward to checking in on them each day.

Another fun activity this month in pre-school was Donuts for Dad Day. Unfortunately, Josh was away at a business conference, so his missed the sugar high. However, Papa Gallagher stepped in and escorted Kate to her special day. I don't know what the teachers were thinking giving all these four year olds huge sugar glazed donuts. I can only imagine the after effects. Glad I wasn't a room mom that day! It did make for a special memory with Papa.

Trick -or-Treat

2011-10-31T23:26:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I can't get enough of these kids! What a fun time dressing up can be for little kids. Kate was a beautiful, sparkly Peacock, with feathers and all. Nathan was a cowboy or maybe a bandit for the few seconds he would keep his outfit on. The little stinker...

Kate and I went to Papa and Gigi Gallagher's neighborhood for a little trick or treating. She was so bold, marching right up to the door and introducing herself. It makes me so proud to see her becoming this strong, independent little girl. (Sometimes I do wish was not quite as independent.) Nathan stayed home and handed out candy with Daddy. Maybe next year he'll be up for going out with us. It was a good night.

(Okay, Miss Melissa...did I take enough pictures? Thanks for your card this week. Kate was very happy!)

Is it really still October?

2011-10-30T21:34:00.000-04:00

Well the calendar says it October, but outside it looks more like December. Here in Maryland, we have never seen snow in October, at least not that I can remember. Kate was so excited to wake up with big fat snow flakes falling. However, she didn't quite understand that we couldn't put up the Christmas Tree just because it was snowing outside. She also wasn't happy that the snow didn't stick and snow angels were not to be had either. However, we did make a big cup of hot chocolate and ran outside to catch a few snowflakes on our tongue. I guess that will have to do until the next snowfall. It was pretty though!

October Fun

2011-10-28T21:36:00.001-04:00

Well, since snow is looming in tomorrow's forecast, I thought it best to post a few of our October outings while it still seemed like autumn. Grandma Ann and Papa Dan came back to Maryland with us after our visit to the Outer Banks. And even though apple season was well underway, Kate wanted to wait until Grandma was here to go apple picking. I think we got the remnant of this season's pickin's, but it was a fun experience for Kate. Grandma and I peeled all the apples, dipped them in honey and lemon and froze them for winter pies and crisps. (Thanks Grandma for the help peeling the apples!!)

Right next to the orchard was a pumpkin patch. Of course Kate wouldn't accept any of the pumpkins Grandma or I suggested; she had to search out the biggest one for herself! Now she's begging me to make pumpkin pie. Maybe we'll tackle that next week!

Each autumn our local fire station hosts an open house. Kate went last year and couldn't wait to go again this year. Specifically, she wanted to ride on the firetruck - something she wasn't able to do last year. We eventually got chosen in the firetruck ride raffle (thanks to a generous volunteer that noticed we had been waiting for more than 1.5 hours for our tickets to be called). In the meantime, Kate managed to explore and have a lot of fun!

Daddy was the patient on the ambulance as Kate checked him over. He was a little sad, so the stuffed bunny made him feel better. Kate said he was A okay and didn't need to go the hospital after all!

Daddy agreed; the firetruck ride was worth the wait.
It was a memorable day!

Henry Hand-me-downs - so to speak

2011-10-27T21:46:00.002-04:00

Ann Henry is a saver! She's also the Henry/Rosenlof family historian. It's so interesting to see the things she has kept and how the family history flows from the stories the items bestow. Over the years, she has saved a few outfits of Josh's that she wanted to have the kids wear. But this outfit predates even Josh.

Ann's dad owned a Texaco station in Nampa, Idaho. These overalls were made by Ann's mom and worn by Ann when she was around 2 years old. Nathan (18 months) was almost too big to fit in them, but we managed to squeeze him in for a few historic photos.

Here is Kate wearing the same pair at 14 months.

The Final Days of Vacation

2011-10-07T21:32:00.003-04:00

Manteo is a little town just south of Nags Head on Roanoke Island. It's one of our favorite places to go in the Outer Banks. So we decided to spend our last morning in this quaint waterfront town and enjoy the final day of summer. We started our morning with a stop at our favorite coffee house. Josh took his cup of coffee black, but the kids preferred sharing a lemonade smoothly and some ginger snap cookies. I love the picture of the two kids drinking together, it gives me hope that they might stop fighting long enough to grow up and like one another.

After our morning snack we spent some time exploring the Marshes Island Light house. The light house is on pylons out in the water. It was unique and offered a spectacular view of the sound. The kids weren't too impressed and argued that we should return to the playground pronto.

Kate spotted a number of sea gulls chilling out on piers. A few of them were talented and standing on one leg. Below is Kate's interpretation of a sea gull.

Another common sight on our vacation were these little frogs. Kate finally had the guts to touch one, and Nathan thought it was hilarious to watch them hop around. A few of them kept trying to sneak into our van and catch a ride home. But I thought having three adult turtles, six baby turtles, and a dog waiting for us at home was enough for right now.

So it is with much saddness that we say good bye to the Outer Banks. We are happy to head home, but we are already thinking about what fun adventures await us next summer.

A BIG Adventure for some Little Folk

2011-10-04T20:34:00.001-04:00

Today was a lot of fun! After a stop at Currituck Lighthouse (which Kate climbed up each step all by herself), we transferred the kids' car seats into our friend's Jeep and hit the open beach in search for wild horses. Unfortunately, we only saw one horse off in the distance, but the ride itself was a lot of fun. Of course Kate loved every minute - she never turns down an adventure. But Nathan, who can be a little cautious at times, let loose and squealed and laughed for most of the ride. He loved the bumps and the wind.

Next year we'll do it again and hope for better luck with the horses.

Beach or Bust!

2011-10-02T14:40:00.000-04:00

Kate has been asking to dip her toes in the ocean the moment she spotted water on the way down to OBX. All she wanted was to go to the beach. Unfortunately, she was fighting a cold yesterday, and although the water was very warm, the air was chilly. So we though it best not to plan a beach day just yet. However, she wore us down late afternoon, and we agreed to let he go walk on the beach and dip her toes in the ocean. No swimming today though...

Well the no swimming rule lasted only long enough for a wave to knock Kate over, and once wet, why not swim, right? At least that's what she and Josh thought.

And once wet, what better to do than throw yourself in the sand to make a sand angel.

Papa Dan spent his time flying a kite, and Grandma Ann was excited to see the Atlantic Ocean. She got her toes in the warm water too!

Sailing at Sunset

2011-10-02T14:26:00.001-04:00

One of the first of our Outer Banks adventures was a sunset sail on the Downeast Rover, a 55ft topsail schooner. This sail was very special on numerous levels: it was Josh's birthday, Kate really wanted to go on a boat ride, Dan was in the Navy years ago and was thrilled at the idea of a sail, and Ann had really never done anything like this before. I love being out on the water, myself, so I was game. The only one in question was our little man, Nathan. He flipped out on a paddle boat, so we weren't sure how he'd handle the big sea. He did great though, until we hit a bit of rain mid-trip and the I had to hold him a little tighter, well the poor fellow didn't appreciate his mobility limited. All in all - it was a very special evening

Captain Eric let Kate take a spin at the wheel - boy oh boy was she happy!

We even were blessed with a rainbow after our bout of wet weather

Not a bad way to see a sunset!

Kate's First Day of Pre-school

2011-09-06T22:41:00.000-04:00

About 11:00 a.m. this morning, in a small classroom filled with four year olds and their parents, I looked at Josh and said, "Wow! This moment is a milestone for us." Kate was sitting in her first classroom. And we had entered into a new stage of parenthood. Can she really be in school already?

Kate was dressed and ready to go to meet her teacher, Mrs. Russo, within minutes of waking up this morning. Her excitement was uncontainable - classic Kate.

She'll always be Daddy's Little Girl - no matter how old she gets!

We all thought it was pretty special that Kate was assigned to the Turtle classroom. How appropriate for our turtle-loving family.

A Last Taste of Summer

2011-09-02T22:43:00.000-04:00

It was my birthday on Thursday, so Josh took me and the kids and Papa Dan out for a nice lunch and a little sunshine. I really enjoyed the time with the family.

We took the kids on the swan boats at the Rio. Kate LOVES the paddle boats. Nathan, not so much.

A Day at the Fair with Kate

2011-08-16T21:55:00.005-04:00

Kate's birthday falls on Fair Week here in Montgomery County. So it's come to be tradition that Josh and I take her to the fair on her actual birthday. We had such a fun time last year, that I think we were all looking forward to it this year. And as expected - the fair did not disappoint. First stop....the animals!!

Kate is fascinated with lambs. Her beloved toy is a Williamsburg plush lamb who has been fondly named "Lambie". She takes him everywhere. I think Kate would have spent all day in the lamb stalls if we had let her. Our farming friends over at Fox Hollow Farm had two lambs in the 4-H competition, so it was fun to hunt around looking for Buddy and Marty (the lambs). We found them too!

Just yesterday, Kate asked me if she could go to a farm that had cows so she could milk one. Well, it wasn't a real cow, but somehow, it sufficed just the same. Kate was tickled pink that she got to milk "a cow" on her birthday!!

This little calf was born at the fair at 8:25 a.m. on August 16th. She was just two and a half hours old when Kate got to see her. Kate thought it was pretty special to share her birthday with a baby cow!

Would you look at that! Kate found another lamb. Surprise. Surprise.

When Kate doesn't want to be a cowgirl, or ballerina, or chef -- she usually wants to be a fire fighter when she grows up. She enjoyed talking to the firemen from Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department. Oh, and she LOVED "driving" the truck!

At 12 o'clock noon the rides opened and Kate was ready with tickets in hand. She had so much fun. I think my face hurt from smiling so much as I watch her excitement!

Last ride of the day is always the Ferris Wheel. We all get to share this ride together and look down at all the fun things we did at the fair. I love this fair tradition. I hope Kate will treasure it too!

An Evening at the FDR

2011-08-14T21:29:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things to do on a summer evening is go downtown and walk around the Jefferson Memorial or the FDR. I haven't gone into DC in quite awhile, so I was thrilled when Josh suggested we stop on our way home from an errand and walk around the monuments. Even though the kids are so little, it was really special for me to share something I love with the little ones I love.

I am looking forward to many more adventures downtown with my babies.

Katie's Panda Party!

2011-08-13T23:54:00.004-04:00

I can't believe my little girl is turning 4 this week! Where did the time go? Ever since her brother's birthday (in April) Kate has been planning her own birthday party. This year she decided early she wanted a Panda Party. Luckily, I had just joined FONZ and was able to book a birthday party at the National Zoo, home of the Giant Pandas. We had two great tour guides, Garwin and Alberta. Kate took an immediate liking to Garwin. He treated her like a princess all morning!

Can you tell that Kate was a little bit excited?

Guests were such a great sport driving into the city under a sky of threatening rain, and early on a Saturday morning just for Kate. She had lots of family there and some special friends.

Our party included a guided tour of the Asia trail. Garwin was full of fun factoids. Here the kids are showing their "claws" just like the Bear Sloth that was hiding in the rocks. The otter's were another favorite animal; they were very playful this morning and fun to watch.

I love these two shots (one above and one below). Nathan with his favorite men...Papa G, Papa Dan, and Daddy. And Kate with her friend, Madison, walking hand in hand toward the Giant Pandas.

The Pandas did not disappoint. This big fella was sleeping when we arrived, but quickly woke up upon hearing that Kate was finally here. He sat up, grabbed his bamboo snack, and starting eating. He was fascinating to watch. Kate has wanted to see a Panda for years now. I am so glad we were able to do this for her.

Happy Birthday, Little One. May this year be your best year yet!

Another Farm Today?

2011-08-06T23:03:00.001-04:00

So we've been visiting a lot of farms lately, thanks to my fascination with locally grown foods. But usually when we drive up we see a barn of sorts or some animals. Today, we saw... a castle! Kate was thrilled of course. "There are princesses at this farm?" She asked. Well sort of. Elioak Clark Farm in Clarksville, MD, does have grass fed beef and a local produce stand, but they also have a Fairy Tale Adventure Park and a kids' petting "zoo". Perfect way to spend a Friday with the cousins. We had a shoe slide for the old woman with too many kids, there was a well where Jack and Jill tumbled, a crooked house, Miss Muffet and well, a few others. The kids spent very little attention to the nursery rhyme part. They were more interested in the "rides" and animals.

The first ride of the day was a hay ride. Aunt Deb took the kids while I kept Nathan far away from the hay, due to a weird rash he had that finally went away. (Didn't want to risk hay setting him off!)

Apparently, Collin felt he could do a better job driving the tractor than the lady.

After the hay ride Brenden, Kate and Collin hopped about Old Bessy (or Dora as it was), for a good ole' cow train ride. I didn't know there was such a thing as a cow train until Friday.

But the big event of the day was the Pony Ride!! Kate could not wait to climb on. I was worried she was going to knock a little girl out of the way so she could go first. After waiting a few minutes, Kate pushed forward for her turn. Luckily her cousins are gentlemen and let their pushy cousin have her way and go first!

Nathan had his first pony ride too. Honestly, I thought he wouldn't do it. The little guy continues to surprise me. He LOVED it. He wouldn't hold on, but that didn't stop him from having fun. He didn't want to get off. Guess, horseback riding will be in his future.

I love Fridays. No work (for me). Days with the kids and their friends or cousins. A little adventure to start off our weekend.

Oh, and we did stop by the Clark's produce stand on the way home for some zucchini, patty pan squash, tomatoes and cantaloupe. Yum!

Look Who is FINALLY Walking!

2011-07-24T22:16:00.000-04:00

I owe everyone a big apology; this blog is long overdue for a number of updates. I just don't know where the the time goes.

Nathan has been itching to walk for months now. He perfected the butt-bottom scoot around the house. Then for weeks he moved to the hold on to walls, chairs, couches and legs. But this weekend he has taken off walking. Finally. We all said he was waiting for Papa Dan to arrive before he showed off his moves. But I am happy to say that he not only waited for Papa Dan, but he also waited for me to come back from my trip to California last week. I was hoping I wouldn't miss his debut.

So with no further adieu, here is Nathan (wobbly as he was - but steady as can be now).

First Dance Recital

2011-06-06T21:19:00.001-04:00

Kate was so excited to have her first dance show. She certainly looked the part of a ballerina. She also loved being the center of attention. She sang the loudest, and made the most fuss when she got tired and wanted to stop dancing. Still, she was beautiful. And it was a wonderful memory for us all.

A blurry picture, but I love it none the less!

This is Miss Melissa, the best dance teacher ever! She is a perfect fit for Kate. She has the patience of an angel and the energy of a 3 year old! We love Miss Melissa!!

Bike Ride Anyone?

2011-05-29T23:40:00.000-04:00

I can't believe my little, baby girl is old enough to have a bicycle!! Josh found this perfect blue and pink princess bike for Kate. It comes complete with a basket in front for Benjamin the cow and a baby seat on the back for Lambie, of course!

Kate was so excited about her bike! She helped Daddy assemble it. (Good thing Daddy has machines like metal grinders because there were some
quirky assembly issues with this bike!)

Kate's helmet doesn't arrive until next week, but we had to let her sit on it and try to peddle around the front street for a few minutes. She had fun, but we still need to work on the peddling thing. :)

Now, Nathan couldn't be left out of all the fun. He strolled up and down the street on his little Red Flyer. be He loves to be on the move. Kate had a little bell on her bike; Nathan had a horn on his car. Our street sounded like a rush hour traffic jam.

We are looking forward to more family bike rides

A Day on the Farm

2011-05-25T23:46:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe it wasn't a full day on a farm, but we sure did have fun stopping by Fox Hollow Farm today. We love this local farm in Gaithersburg. I've been stocking my refrigerator with bags and bags of their fresh cut lettuce. They actually go out to the garden and cut it while you wait, so you don't lose vital nutrients as it sits in a bag on a shelf. I stop by the farm at least once or twice a week. We also have indulged in their fresh eggs, pork tenderloin, home made par-baked breads, and even plants for my garden too. Kate's favorite thing about the farm is their friendly kitty, Cider. She talks about the kitten all day and all night. Today I found her curled up on the floor with a napping Cider in her lap! Kate is working very hard to convince Daddy that she needs a kitty. Good Luck, Kate!

Of course there are many more animals on the farm than just Cider the kitty. And Kate loves it when Mrs. Stephanie lets us go out to the barn. Today she ran down there as if this was her farm to show off. Here she is with a baby goat (his horns were just starting to show). Notice Lambie in her arms, she quickly ran to the next pen to show Lambie a real lamb. Wish I had caught that on film.

Kate and this turkey had a bit of conversation today...I'm wondering if he remembered her from our last visit on Saturday. It was like they really understood each other. Fox Hollow Farm is actually taking orders for Organic Turkey's for Thanksgiving. They order just enough for those who place orders, raise the birds all summer and deliver them for the big feast in November. This guy though, I think he stays around.

The pigs were a big hit for Nathan and Kate. They came right up to the fence and sniffed the kids. I'm not sure who squealed louder, the piglets or Nathan.

It's been so much fun and so rewarding supporting a local farmer, getting to know them personally, and teaching my children about the value of healthy, organic food grown locally. For more information on buying local, see my favorite links on the sidebar.

Strike!

2011-05-22T23:47:00.007-04:00

Taking three preschoolers bowling was a lot of fun!! Debbie was flying solo for the weekend while Shaun was on travel in Chicago, so she invited us to join them for a little game of duck pin bowling on Saturday. Kate was a little nervous never having bowled before, but she caught on quickly.

My favorite part of the afternoon was watching the kids' different stances while they bowled!

Brenden had the most mature form; he would just hurl the ball down the lane. I'm surprised we didn't leave pot holes on the floor. Collin was a little more delicate in his approach. The methodical, careful strategy paid off for my little buddy. Kate tried it all - launching it down the lane, rolling it between her legs, and even using multiple balls to try to move the balls that stopped mid-lane from lack of momentum. :)

Nathan hung out with Mommy most of the time. These days he doesn't like to be far away from his security blanket: MOMMA! Of course, after awhile he insisted on trying his luck at the game too. I think he concluded it might be easier once he learns how to walk. Better luck next time, little fella!

But at the end of the day, Collin was victorious! Kate gave him a run for his money. And well Bren...he kind of got bored somewhere along the line and wandered off. So his score is a collection of various people bowling. It really was a fun afternoon. Great idea, Debbie! Thanks for including us.

What a face!!

2011-05-11T23:02:00.000-04:00

There is not a lot of explanation needed in this photo shoot. Nathan wants to feed himself these days. He got hold of a bowl of spaghetti and went to town. Gotta love this little fella!!

Do you think he liked his dinner?

Bath time came a little early tonight!!

Hello, Neighbor!

2011-04-15T22:39:00.005-04:00

Katie has a new dwelling these days. We have wanted to get her a play house for a long time now, and thanks to a little gift from Uncle Sam this year, we were able to surprise Kate with this gift a few weeks ago. This house is pretty cool; it has a working doorbell, windows that slide open and closed, a real solid roof and door. And of course being from Josh, it is made of real wood. It even has window boxes! This weekend, she and Daddy will go and pick out some beautiful pansies to welcome her guests to her new house. And we really should give a BIG shout out to Papa Dan for assembling it! Let's just say it took awhile to put this baby together!

Do come inside...tea anyone??

Speaking of our Little One, Kate is a pretty amazing photographer. We are regularly amazed at the angles, details and subjects that she chooses to capture on camera. We've started keeping a file of her pictures because someday they might be valuable. Here is a humorous set of her most recent self-portraits. Personally, I love the first one.

Nathan's First Birthday

2011-04-13T23:11:00.006-04:00

There were so many pictures to choose from as I tried to narrow down the celebration we had for Nathan's first birthday last weekend. I wish I could have added more, but I hope this provides a little feel for the evening.

We had a jungle animal theme. The kids all got face masks to wear, as did some of the adults too! Kate had the job of handing out the masks as the kids arrived; a job she took very seriously. Of course she scouted out the masks first and saved the bunny rabbit for herself!
In first birthday party tradition, I wanted to do a fun, special "cake" that I made myself. So I used 24 cupcakes to make this fun crocodile. It was a hit with everyone.

I wasn't sure if Nathan would really get into eating his cupcake; he is really picky about food textures, but as you can see below, he LOVED every minute of it!

And he knew exactly what to do when it came to the presents. His cousins and big sister were standing by ready to help, but he showed them he had it under control!

Of course, the piles and piles of wrapping paper were of the best gift of all.

We were very blessed by the family that came to celebrate as well as a few close friends. Nathan is a gift to so many. We love this little guy! Can't wait to see what this next year brings...

A Cellist in the Making

2011-04-03T20:27:00.004-04:00

I have secretly dreamed that Kate might choose to play the cello one day; it brought me so much joy to see her try the cello for the first time on Friday. She needs to grow into it a bit, but there might be a chance of her picking this instrument up in time.

First Hair Cut

2011-03-31T17:08:00.006-04:00

Well, I really did try to wait until Nathan's first birthday before resorting to cutting his hair; however, it was just way too long! Every time he ate anything it ended up in his hair. So I broke down and got it cut one week before his first birthday! Close enough, I suppose. Here is a before picture of the wild waft.

Nathan was so good during his haircut. Normally, he is a constant wiggle worm. Luckily, I think the new surroundings mesmerized him enough to keep him still and distracted.

Here is my little man with a new hairdo. It's still damp in this picture, but once it dried it stuck right back up again. Oh well...

And of course, Kate wanted to get her hair cut too. I have been trimming her hair until now, but she really enjoyed getting it done like big girls. She looked beautiful afterward. (And her hair was cut in a straight line for the first time ever!)

The Lorax

2011-02-15T22:02:00.003-05:00

I am the LORAX, I speak for the trees,
which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please!

Every time I see Kate on this tree stump, I think of her love of the Dr. Seuss story, The Lorax. This winter we lost the maple tree that provided wonderful shade and privacy to the front of our house. But in return, Kate gained a "shouting stump"! She climbs up on the stump and yells and yells. Tonight she shouted, "Hello Moon! Do you hear me?? OH MOON!!! MOOOON!!!" Sometimes the stump is just a stage for dancing and jumping. Kate is always about finding the dramatic outlet in any situation!

Jazzy Bugs

2011-01-31T15:13:00.004-05:00

To say that she loves dance would be an understatement. Kate LOVES dance! She twirls and stomps around our living room for hours each day singing and dancing away! So we were very excited about giving her dance lessons for Christmas.

Kate started a Jazzy Bugs dance class last week. This class is perfect! It has 15 minutes of tap, then 15 minutes of ballet, and 30 minutes of gymnastics. The class focuses on rhythm, sequence and following directions. (All skills Kate will benefit from practicing!) Her teacher, Miss Melissa, is fantastic as well -a perfect match for a pre-school group of girls.

Kate is in her element dressed in tap shoes and tutus. Her excitement is precious!

My Buddy Z

2011-01-26T10:38:00.003-05:00

For those of you who follow me on FB, you have probably seen my status updates lamenting the move of our dear, beloved friends: Paul and Peggy. If it wasn't for the fact that Paul just scored an incredible dream job in L.A., I might have to chain myself to the moving truck in pro-test. I am so happy for the blessings God is pouring out on them, but at the same time I am selfishly grieving our loss. Paul leaves to start his job this weekend. I still have three weeks until Peggy and Zachary leave. Kate and I are trying to take advantage of every moment we can spend with them.

Kate adores Z. You wouldn't always know it from the way she fights with him over toys, but Z has become family. Kate has even subjected him to her favorite game: dress up!

(Notice the ballet slippers on Zachary!)

We've been sharing late nights together so Z has been camping out at our house. He loves his "bath party" with Kate. They can sure splash up a storm, leaving more water on the floor than in the tub. (I opted to leave out the bath pictures - but they are so cute!!) After bedtime stories, Kate insisted on snuggling with Z before sleep.

Oh! What will be ever do with them??

Christmas Catch Up

2011-01-25T23:02:00.005-05:00

Well, now that it is the last week of January, I guess I should probably get around to posting my Christmas photos. I don't know where the days go. Here a few photos to sum up the kids' excitement over Christmas. Let's start first with Kate's LOVE of baking. Here she is putting the finishing touches on Santa's cookies. I think she ate more sprinkles than cookies.

Kate got these snowmen last year from Gigi! She couldn't wait to pull them out of the attic and play with her long, lost friends.

Nathan got in on the fun too. Here he is cuddling with a froggy he got from his Washington cousins. He sure loved how big and soft it was!!

Nathan learned to sit up, just in time to enjoy the toys all over the floor!

Kate asked Santa for one, thing: a snow globe with Santa inside. She was very happy to find it under the tree on Christmas morning.

My little sous chef loves to be in the kitchen with me. We made a big family breakfast of scrambled eggs and Kate's favorite food: bacon! (Notice the tutu she is wearing - it's all about the princess and dancer these days!!)

After breakfast, Kate and Daddy enjoyed a little table side bowling. Looks like she's going to get a strike!

Nathan thought bowling was pretty fun to watch too. He is such a happy little fella!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. May this coming year be full of love, joy and blessing.

Santa Train

2010-12-15T21:48:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, we all boarded a 1920's train in Walkersville and went for a little ride through the countryside. (Now, when I say ride, I mean crawl. I don't think we went over 10 mph the entire trip. But that was besides the point.) The kids were so excited to just be on the train, but they could barely contain themselves when they found out that SANTA was on the train too!!! They did a great job waiting for Santa to arrive to our car.

Nathan was a natural with Santa. He was all giggles and smiles. And the friendly, strange man dressed in funny clothes did not phase Nathan at all. I was so happy to get such great photos of Nathan and Santa on his first Christmas!!
Now Kate....well as can be expected, she wasn't as cooperative. All morning she couldn't wait to see Santa and sit on his lap and tell him that she wanted a snow globe for Christmas. But when the time came, she wouldn't go near him. UNTIL, Santa noticed the shiny Christmas tree on her tee shirt. She inched closer to show him her shirt, and she swooped her onto his lap for a quick photo. I guess this is an improvement from last year when Kate screamed so much on Santa's lap that no photo was taken!

It was a wonderful morning with family. My only wish is that Josh had not been ill so he could have joined us. We might need to do this again next year, so Daddy can come along too!

Gigi, Papa, and the Gang
(minus Nathan who was too busy eating to be bothered with a photo!)

Nathan and Mommy

Uncle Shaun, Collin and Collin's best buddy, Nathan!

Auntie Debbie and Brenden!

Papa with his little buddy!

This conductor was a riot. He took his job very seriously, and the kids had a lot of fun with him. Not sure what Kate was trying to communicate with this face - probably her pirate face ~ Argh Matie!

Loyes Station Park Photo Shoot

2010-11-05T22:19:00.001-04:00

In late October, my sister-in-law, Jecholia, took some fantastic photos of our family at a park up in Thurmont, Maryland. There is a series of covered bridges in that area, and this park has one of my favorites. Jecholia did such a great job! Thank you for capturing these memories for us! Here are a few of our favorites.

Kate LOVES Nathan!! This photo is so special to me!

Highlights from the Outer Banks

2010-10-29T17:08:00.000-04:00

Josh' dad came with us to the Outer Banks. It was a lot of fun showing him around a part of the East Coast he had never been to. One place we had to visit was the Wright Brother's Monument. Josh and his dad are big fans of aviation - they once had their pilot's licenses. Here are some pictures from their visit.

Nathan's not so little anymore!

2010-10-28T23:39:00.003-04:00

September 2010
Nathan is 5 months old in these pictures. His biggest fan is Kate, and Nathan LOVES his big sister. He looks for her when I bring him into a new room. Tonight she asked me if she could have bunk beds in her room when Nathan gets older so that Nathan could sleep in her room on the bottom bunk, while she sleeps on the top bunk. She has it all planned out. If Nathan would just sleep through the night, I might be open to that idea.

Nathan is such a happy baby! He brings so much joy to all of us.

Daddy's influence on Nathan is starting already!

Kate's First Red Sox Game

2010-10-28T23:17:00.004-04:00

September 2, 2010
Well, Josh married into it, and Kate was born into it - but there's no mistake about it, we are all RedSox fans. Kate has cheered on the Red Sox team since she was 2 mos. old and they won the 2007 World Series (in honor of her arrival, I do believe). She knows that Fenway Park is in Massachusetts. She knows who Wally the Green Monster is, and even the names of Yaz, Ted Williams, Varitek and Big Pappy. For about two weeks straight this summer, she asked me every time we got into the van, "Are we going to Massachusetts to see a RedSox game?" So you can imagine my excitement to take Kate to her first Red Sox baseball game. Of course we couldn't drive to Boston on a whim, but Fenway South (a.k.a. Camden Yards) was just fine for this little fan.

Kate: Can you believe that call, Brenden?

No trip to the ball park is complete without lots of concessions! Kate had her fair share!

Kate with some of her favorite people: Brenden, Papa and Gigi

Kate is her Daddy's little girl, but I am very happy that she shares a love for baseball like her Mommy. I hope it continues as she gets older.

Catching Up

2010-10-25T23:23:00.005-04:00

Boy oh boy, do we have some catching up to do! I have a boat load of pictures to share with you from our family vacation in the Outer Banks to changes with Nathan and special outings with Kate. We even have a fantastic spread of pictures my sister-in-law, Jecholia, took of our little foursome just this past weekend! So please check in frequently over the next few days and take a few minutes to scroll through to see what we've been up to for the last three months. I'm going to add a few teaser photos from Jecholia's photo shoot just to keep you coming back for more!

Be sure to come on back now, you hear?

Happy Birthday, Josh!!

2010-09-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today, Josh turns the big 40! But forty is just a number with significance assigned by the individual. Youth is a state of mind, and Josh is 40 years YOUNG today. So there will be no black balloons, no over the hill jokes, none of that for this young dad. Instead, he is going to receive the gift of adventure to help celebrate the spirit of youthful zeal, energy and strength. In October, Josh will join the guys and Go Ape! for the day!

Happy Birthday, my love!

A Day at the Fair

2010-08-29T11:54:00.008-04:00

The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair was in town on Kate's actual birthday! Josh took the morning off of work, Peggy agreed to watch Nathan, and Mommy, Daddy, and Kate headed off to the fair. What better way to spend a birthday! It was more fun than any of us anticipated (and a lot hotter than we were prepared for).

The first exciting thing was that the shuttle bus to the fairgrounds was a school bus! Kate has wanted to ride a school bus for as long as I can remember! It was just as much fun for me to watch Kate's excitement as it must have been for her to get to ride the bus.

I really wanted Kate to ride a pony. She was a little cautious at first, but she enjoyed the ride.
Mommy wanted the ponies, but Kate wanted the pig race. Here she is on Daddy's shoulders waiting for the pig races to start. She was hot and tired. She still asks about once a week if we can go see another pig race.
We saw lots of fun and unusual sights. This juggler was one of Kate's favorites. There were some fun animals to pet and see too.

But the rides were what Josh was looking forward to taking Kate on. She has no fear and such zeal. She and Daddy had a lot of fun.

Kate technically wasn't tall enough to ride by herself, but this one guy let her slip by on this ride. Does a centimeter or two really make a difference. I bet the guy sensed it was her birthday. Kate was thrilled to go on a ride by herself!

The ride Kate wanted to go on the most was the Ferris Wheel. From the moment she heard we were going to the fair she asked if she could ride the Ferris Wheel. She loved peering over the edge (which made mommy a little nervous). She's a thrill seeker I'm afraid!

Look Who Turned Three!!

2010-08-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

So hard to believe that my little girl is three years old already!! She is so grown up. We had a small birthday party with a few of her friends and cousins. She was enjoying every moment. She even made special requests: balloons, flowers, chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes and Kate said, "We must have party games, Mommy!".

I had to put this picture in the lot. Although it's blurry - it really sums up Kate's activity level during her party. She just torn through her presents and was a blur of energy. I guess that is what happens when she only eats a cupcake and no dinner! Below are the special request cupcakes that Kate wanted for her special day! And trust me, they were YUMMY!!

Feeling a Little Froggy

2010-08-13T20:54:00.000-04:00

Josh introduced me to this expression: feeling froggy. I had never heard of this until I met my unique husband with lots of interesting expressions. It means, feeling kind of grumpy or blah. Well, Kate took the idea to a new height this morning. It's been raining buckets here lately, so while still dressed in her froggy pj's (which by the way are her favorite) she put on her froggy rain boots, and opened her froggy umbrella and was ready to go jump in puddles at 8 a.m.!

Fun in the Fountains

2010-08-02T23:28:00.004-04:00

Above is a picture taken of Kate in June of 2009 at the fountains in Rockville Towne Center. As you can see she was a little intimidated by them. She did get her toes wet, but that was about all. Well, boy, what a difference a year can make!

All summer long, I have been wanting to take her back there. But I'm still learning how to juggle two kids on outings. But on Friday, thanks to the help of a dear friend, Mara, I was able to give Kate a morning of fun in the fountains! This year she was a little hesitant at first, but as you can see below, she quickly warmed up! It was a great morning. Can't wait to go back with her. Now, if I could just get her to keep her mouth closed!

Of course we couldn't leave Nathan home on such a fun day, so he chilled in the shade of the pavillion with Mara - his new buddy! I can't wait until they both are old enough to enjoy days like these together.

Sorry the video is so small - I didn't realize the resolution was so low on the camera. However, it's still a video, so we'll put it up for now.

Henry Traditions

2010-07-06T22:28:00.003-04:00

We were very excited to have Josh return home after two weeks in Ohio on business. It's amazing how much a baby changes in just two weeks. Nathan will be 3 months old this coming week. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by.

With much sadness we have just said goodbye to Grandma Ann after three months of loving care she gave us all! I'm sure Anna and Shawna are happy to get her back on the West Coast; it might be a few weeks before Grandma is rested enough to babysit again. Sorry if we wore out Grandma! Papa Dan is still visiting for a few more weeks; we are glad we didn't lose both of them at the same time. Kate is already asking when she can go to Grandma's house.

Grandma Ann always brings with her special gifts. Kate has been given many books and creative activities this summer. One item that Grandma brought Nathan, was an outfit that Josh wore when he was a baby. It was in excellent condition considering it was nearly 40 years old (sorry Josh to spill the beans). So on Grandma's last day we dressed Nathan up in the same blue outfit and took some pictures with Daddy. We also took the chance to get a three generation picture of the Henry men.

Nathan at 12 weeks holding the picture of Josh about 9 months in the same outfit.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:11:00.003-04:00

WE LOVE YOU, DADDY!!!

Has it Been a Month Already?

2010-05-09T14:21:00.003-04:00

My little fella is a month old! Well he's not so little anymore. He's going to be a big boy, I think - taking after the Gallagher line.

I can't believe how fast the weeks have gone by. It's mostly a blur of sleepless nights and busy days. But I am trying to capture the precious moments in my memory as I have learned with Kate, time moves too quickly.

Here are a few pictures of Nathan. Hope to more to come in the near future.

Awake and wondering why this bright light keeps flashing at me!

Okay, so I know this is probably just a gas bubble smile, but we should be seeing real smiles in a week or so! I was so happy to capture this on camera. It's hard to time these gassy smiles!

Daddy's Little Girl

2010-05-08T14:11:00.001-04:00

Well, Kate has pretty much become Josh's child over the last few months. She has always LOVED her daddy. But in light of all the transition in our home, Kate has attached herself to Josh with new vigor!! Good thing, Josh is such a great dad!

Kate loves to go into Josh's shop during the day.
And it's always a treat to play music with Daddy too!

More recently Kate has taken up a role at house doctor! She loves to take out her doctor kit and check on all members of the family. Here she is giving Josh a thorough looking over.

After a full examination and LOTS of shots, here are some of Kate's recent diagnoses: Daddy has bad diaper rash - no purple cat in his ear - and he needs to get lots of rest. (Wait, I thought Mommy needs lots of rest these days!)

Nathan's First Week Home

2010-04-18T22:36:00.003-04:00

I know I still owe everyone the "birth story" - which is a good one by the way. However, as you can imagine, time is limited these days. So for now, I am going to post a few snapshots of our first week home with Nathan. Enjoy!

Nathan has Arrived!

2010-04-08T21:53:00.000-04:00

Here are a few of the first-day pictures of Nathan Edward Henry. He was born at 11:48am on 4/8/10. More pictures and stories later, but here some pictures of his first few moments with us.

Kate has always loved her "Taggy." She wanted to give Nathan his first taggy right when he was born.

Due Date Shmoo Date

2010-04-07T20:07:00.004-04:00

Well, it's April 7th! I guess someone forget to tell Nathan he was supposed to be born already! I suppose there technically are still four hours in the day until his due date has officially passed. But we're hoping he is not too long in coming. These pictures were taken two and a half weeks ago (March 27th) when my wedding ring still fit on my finger, and my sneakers still fit on my feet. Now imagine me even two weeks larger...not a really pretty sight these days. :)

We went to the doctors on Monday and there was little to no dilation yet. I have another appointment on Friday. And if the little fella has not come by this weekend I will be induced on Monday. So at least there is an end in sight. It's hard waiting. But all in all we just want a safe delivery and a healthy baby. We are trusting God for His perfect timing regarding Nathan's arrival. But I'll still urge him to make his appearance tonight if possible. :)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:52:00.003-04:00

Doesn't this face sum it all up! What joy! What excitement! What a wonderful weekend we had. Grandma Ann arrived in Baltimore at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. Kate has enjoyed every minute with her since. Grandma decided to teach Kate how to dye Easter eggs. Something Mommy wanted to do but didn't have the energy or ambition to do at this point in my pregnancy. Thank you Grandma Ann for making such a special memory for Kate.

Kate picked out one egg for everyone that would be at our Easter dinner on Sunday. She picked the colors herself and wanted to give everyone an egg as a gift. Fast forward to dinner on Sunday. Grandma pulls out the eggs for Kate to distribute. She announces to the crowd, "Listen everyone! I have eggs. Five dollars please!" My brother, Brian, talked her down from five dollars to one dollar. And low and behold she made a little money this evening! Somehow the original generous giving that we were so excited about got lost in translation. But we all laughed. Watch out world...we have a go getter here!

The Final Days of Just Three...

2010-03-19T21:51:00.005-04:00

It's funny how emotions can be so strong and so contradictory. I am very eager for Nathan to arrive and my prayers are that he comes sooner than his April 7th due date. Yet, the last few days I have been very aware that these are the final days of life with just Josh, Kate and myself. Nathan will complete our family, but in some ways I feel like I am mourning the loss of something sweet too.

Today before our bubbling adventure (see post below) Josh took us to Brewster's for a special ice-cream treat. We had a wonderful time together in the warm spring air, and the memories will be treasured.

Nothing gets past Kate; how come Mommy's ice-cream is so much bigger than mine?

Ah, the face of pure satisfaction!

Kate is so excited to meet Nathan! She asks regularly if Nathan is done growing yet. She wants to hold him, to teach him to draw, to play blocks with him, to read him stories and to rock him. She'll be a great big sister, if she can just wait long enough for him to arrive and grow up a little.
Nathan, we all are waiting for you! Come soon little fella!

Here We Go A Bubbling...

2010-03-19T21:44:00.003-04:00

Now that the weather is warm again, Kate is so eager to go outside! She is constantly asking for Daddy to take her bubbling! She wants to blow bubbles before she is even out of her covers from bed in the morning! The sunshine does us all some good these days...

I hope the spring weather sticks around for good. Rumor has it a cold front is on it's way in next week, but boy of boy does that sunshine make us all happier!

She can't be spelling already, can she?

2010-03-11T20:26:00.004-05:00

Today we were watching CARS - Mator is a particular favorite of Kate's. Anyway, Lightening McQueen calls someone an idiot in the movie. Kate always asks me what idiot means. I told her it's a bad word that people use when they are angry or being mean. I also told her that Mommy did not like that word, and that she should not use it.

Fast forward 4 or 5 hours. Josh, Kate and I are in the car on the way home from a yummy dinner out. I started to tell Josh the story from CARS. I decided to spell the word so Kate wouldn't know what I was saying. I said to Josh that we were watching CARS and the word i-d-i-o-t caught Kate's attention again. Kate quickly jumps in, "Daddy that means idiot. It's a mean word that people use when they are angry."

I was stunned! How did she know it was idiot? She's 2 1/2 and spelling not to mention defining vocabulary words. Not bad. Not bad. I guess there is a little bit of Mommy in her after all.

From Kate's Mouth to God's Ears

2010-03-10T22:24:00.003-05:00

Today was a rough day as far as obedience goes. The morning started out well but we quickly found ourselves disciplining Kate over and over again for not obeying. She was have some quiet time in her room this morning while Mommy was doing laundry. As I came into her room to put clothes away, I saw her in the corner of her room looking up at her bedroom ceiling praying, "God, please help me obey better." Tears streamed down my face...a teachable heart is all you can really ask for in a child.

Later that morning, we were still in Kate's room attempting to clean it up. Kate had misplaced her treasured "taggie" blanket a few days ago, and despite my best efforts I have not been able to find it. I asked her to look under her bed again. Not there. She kept trying and trying to find it. I told her that she should pray and ask God to help her find the taggie. Kate returned to the same corner of her room, looked up and said, "God, please help me find my yellow taggie. Thanks, God." And wouldn't you know it. About five minutes later, Kate came running out of her room yelling, "I found it, Mom! I found it! God helped me!"

Daddy's Little Helper

2010-02-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

Kate generously donated her toddler bed/crib to Baby Nathan this weekend. She was so excited to get her own big girl bed! Of course she had to help Daddy each step of the way.

We have some great video of Kate helping Daddy, and of Kate's reaction to her new bed. Hopefully, Josh and get the clips up soon!

Blizard of 2010

2010-02-08T21:03:00.007-05:00

Welcome to what is quickly becoming the snow capital of the U.S.

Snow keeps coming! Most of you have probably heard about the 2 1/2 - 3 feet of snow that hit our area this past weekend. That was on top of a few inches we got the weekend before and another inch or so early that week. I'm afraid to tell people that Kate recently prayed and asked God to please send more snow so she could make a snow man and snow angels. I think it's safe to say He heard her prayers. Now we are praying that the snow would stop! However, we are in for another storm tomorrow threatening to bring in 12 - 20 more inches of white powder.

This weekend was certainly memorable in many ways! I (Kim) had planned a scrap booking weekend with my sister-in-law Debbie and friend, Holly. We are booked at a local hotel with dozens of other ladies ready for a little getaway. Josh encouraged me to still go despite the threatening weather, and since Holly drove down all the way from New York and our weekend was already paid for (no refunds) we decided to make the best of it and get snowed in at a hotel! Why not? We left for the hotel around 1 p.m. on Friday just as the snow started to fall.

Josh and Kate were home on their own. However, around 7:15 p.m. on Friday, our house lost power. Josh, had he been a single man, home alone, would have braved the elements and stayed home with the best hopes of the electricity coming back on soon. However, being the responsible dad that he is, and hearing the concern in his wife's voice, he packed up little Kate and as many belongings as he could find in the dark and headed over to Paul and Peggy's to weather the storm. The snow was coming down at a rate of 2 inches an hour, so Josh only had a small window of time to make a decision about leaving the house. He and Kate were snowed into Peggy and Paul's until Sunday afternoon. He had hoped to head home on Saturday afternoon, but it was still snowing until about 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. And due to the state wide snow emergency, plows have not made it to most of the local neighborhoods even today. (This is one time I am grateful that we pay exorbitant amounts of money to local HOA for private snow removal!)

On Sunday, my dad and father showed up in a 4-wheel truck to the hotel to dig out Holly's car and pick up Debbie. The local highway had exit ramps closed, cars were flipped, even the main roads were in bad shape. Josh and Kate picked me up in Josh's excellent snow car - once he shoveled his way to some tire tracks and worked is way out of Paul's neighborhood.

We got home to find that my incredible dad and brother, Shaun, had shoveled a path to our door and a small spot to park Josh's car. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! As soon as we got home, Josh to the business of finishing the shoveling. It was hard to get picture with perspective, but take our word for it...there's a lot of snow here!

Josh shoveling out his parking spot in front of our house.

Josh shoveling out a path in the backyard so Shayla could do her business.

The view from our front door - the walkway to the driveway.

Our little snow angel! Thanks for praying for all this snow Kate!

Passing the Time

2010-02-05T09:39:00.003-05:00

We stayed inside most the week in order to help solidify potty training. We did venture out to the grocery store on Thursday, but it was a quick 20 minute trip. The idea of taking a newly potty trained child out to run errands terrifies me! I guess I need to face it sooner or later.

Kate is actually doing really well. I think this picture demonstrates well that she has fully grasped the idea of going potty:

One day Kate decided to pull out her violin and play some music. We love when she spontaneously goes to the violin to play. We are still working on technique but her heart is in the right place! Josh has a great video of her "playing" her violin and singing her alphabet. Hopefully we add it on to this post soon. For now, still pictures will have to do!

It looks like we still need to work on the proper playing position. It is also time to rehair her bow...again...

A Sneak Peak at Nathan

2010-02-03T09:29:00.005-05:00

What a special treat we all had on Monday night. We were given a 4-D sonogram and actually got to see a little bit of Nathan. We had originally gone the week before but Nathan was in a breech position and his back was toward us, so all we got to see was an ear. The sonogram place invited us back on Monday and to our delight he had turned!! Kate was very excited to see Nathan. But when she finally did, her comment was, "He looks funny, Mom!"

Here Nathan is holding the cord with both hands up by his face.

A little clearer picture of his face. He has some chubby cheeks!

This seemed to be his favorite position - hands and feet by his face all curled up!

This just gets me more excited to meet the little guy in person. Two more months to go!

Bye Bye Diaper Party

2010-01-30T09:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, we started the morning off with a bouquet of balloons, a special pancake breakfast complete with a bye-bye-diaper song (and there would have been candles if Mommy had remembered to buy them at the store). Kate has been waiting for Friday all week long. On Wednesday she and I went to the grocery store and bought all her favorite drinks: lemonade, chocolate milk, grape juice and hot chocolate. Mommy had already stocked up on lots of juice boxes, fun straws, exciting new toys and crafts, baking supplies, and some special treats for just the right celebratory moment!

Why all this fuss for potty training? Well we tried potty training back in November. After 4 hours and 7 accidents - one success - I gave up. Kate wasn't ready. She didn't even notice when the pee gushed down her leg onto my carpet. So I put it on hold until after the holidays and until she had a little more time to mature. What a difference 8 weeks made!

I must admit I was a bit discouraged back in November. My sister-in-law had been facing the battle at home with Brenden. So the two us signed up for a potty-training seminar: Potty Training Made Easy in One Weekend! I liked the sound of that! The theory at the seminar was once a child is physically ready it will be easy. And boy was she right!

This weekend has been fantastic. Kate only had one accident yesterday - and she stopped herself mid-way and finished it up in the bathroom. We've had two successful poops yesterday and one today. And the best part, is that Kate is initiating all her trips to the bathroom now. She doesn't even need a timer! Tomorrow we bring out the big-girl underwear. I am so grateful that the second time around has been this easy.

I do think that we all should take a moment and genuinely thank our moms for the potty training they imparted to us. It's no easy task. Thank you, Mom! And for those of you considering having kids in the near future...just remember that potty training is eventually a part of the deal. :) Okay...I've heard it described in pretty explicit terms...but I'm grateful Kate made it pretty easy on me!

Random Pictures of Kate

2010-01-30T09:02:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a little while since we've posted some pictures of Kate. I've been slacking off in the camera department lately. She is changing so much these days. She's definitely not a baby anymore, but such a little girl. (Just look at that curly hair!) She'll always be my baby girl though. :)

Kate's been taking gym class once a week at Little Gym. It's been a great energy outlet for her and has really helped her develop upper body strength. Sadly this was our last class for awhile. We are taking a break until the baby arrives and I get back on my feet. :) Here are some photos of Kate showing off her skills!

Kate had a great teacher this semester! Mrs. Tarika made such a difference for Kate. We will miss her enthusiasm!

A Night in the ER

2010-01-09T12:56:00.004-05:00

Boy, this baby is giving me a run for the money! When I was pregnant with Kate, I felt better than ever! It hasn't really been the same with baby number 2.

Last night around 9 p.m. I went to the ER on the recommendation of my OB. For most the afternoon and evening, I had been experiencing a lot of abdominal and lower back pain and pretty consistent strong contractions. At only 27 weeks it was too early for Nathan to make his appearance, so the on call doctor wanted to see me in Labor and Delivery "without wasting any time" in getting there.

My dear friend, Peggy, drove me to the hospital as Josh who was not feeling too well himself stayed home with sleeping Kate. They monitored me for hours; the baby’s heart rate was fine, but contractions were still coming. After a few tests they concluded it was not pre-term labor and it was not a UTI. Not really knowing what was causing the pain and contractions, they treated me for dehydration by giving me IV fluids. I didn’t feel dehydrated, and I am pretty good about my water intake, but maybe it was a factor.

Josh arrived around midnight to relieve Peggy who has her own 9 month old to tend to in the early morning. Kate was very excited to be awakened and transported to Papa and Gigi's in the middle of the night for a sleep over. (Thanks Mom and Dad for jumping in to help!!) Ironically, within minutes of getting to the hospital, Josh got ill and started vomiting. He got sick three times while we were there (way to steal the attention). The OB nurses wanted to send him down to the ER, but of course Josh refused.

My contractions eventually stopped but the back pain and stomach pain did not. Still I opted to be released, and we got home around 3 a.m. last night. I still don’t feel well. Josh is still in rough shape too. Kate is with my mom and dad right now, but should be home shortly. Not sure who is taking care of who at this point. Maybe Kate can make us lunch when she gets home. Oh, lunch...that would mean we would have to eat food...nevermind...don't think either of us can stomach much. We would covet prayers though.

Peggy, thanks for the Gatorade this morning!! You're the best!!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T19:19:00.004-05:00

Panda Love

2009-12-23T17:36:00.000-05:00

Meet Kate's new friend, Panda Bear. My mom and dad surprised her with this panda and a correlating story book a few weeks ago, and since his arrival Panda has not left Kate's side. She sleeps with him, she feeds him at meals times, she takes him on car rides, etc. I think my parents hit the nail on the head with this gift! Thanks!

Blizzard of 2009

2009-12-20T10:29:00.005-05:00

Well the snow started to fall about 9:30 on Friday night. And as we went to bed last night around 11:00 p.m. the snow was finally abating. The grand total at our house was 22 inches! It's been more than 10 years since I can remember having a snowfall of this magnitude! It is so beautiful to watch falling, and today's bright blue sky makes the snowy wonderland look magical!

We had such a wonderful day as a family! Josh did not work. And at about 10 a.m. Saturday morning (with only 4 or 5 inches on the ground) dear friends Paul, Peggy, and Zachary came over so we all could hunker down for the day and enjoy the storm together! Kate wanted to go out in the snow all day long. When we finally went out she wouldn't really cooperate for pictures. Zachary was more photogenic.

Zachary waiting for his ride in the "sled". Kate wasn't too keen on climbing in. She just wanted to pull Zachary through the snow!

Peggy playing with Zachary - while Zachary contemplates why we are outside in this very cold weather.

Shayla loved running around in the snow too. However, it was a little deep for her. She had a hard time finding her way in the backyard to go to the bathroom.

We spent a good part of the day indoors as can be expected. Paul and Peggy (fellow foodies) came over and started cooking within the hour! We had Peggy's chili for lunch with homemade corn bread from Paul. Paul made fresh bread that we later enjoyed at dinner on panini sandwiches with butternut squash soup that I made (care of Peggy's recipe). Our neighbor Jonathan tromped over for dinner and a movie too. We pretty much ate our way through the blizzard. Oh, and I should mention the Bavarian Hot Chocolate we had while playing a game of Apples to Apples while the kiddos napped (at the same time even!). and yes, Josh willingly played a game - and I think he kind of enjoyed it too!

Paul making his yummy honey oat bread!

Peggy prepping her delicious chili!

Baby Zachary - always happy and content!

Josh pulled out his violin and mandolin for some music. Kate and Zachary enjoyed listening to him play. Kate tried to join in too! Paul pulled out his guitar and they jammed for a little while. It was really nice to hear Josh playing again. It's been awhile.

Both the kids slept through the night, and we all awoke and had a yummy breakfast together before Paul and Peggy ventured home. Wish they could have stayed longer! It was such a fun day. Thanks, Lord for sending so much snow and making so many people happy!

Just Chilling in the Backseat

2009-12-02T01:42:00.005-05:00

I love this photo! I just had to share it with you. Kate and I were driving around today, and she wanted her sunglasses. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find her sunglasses since our trip to the Outer Banks in October. So I let her use mine for the duration of the ride. I had to snap a picture. It's moments like these that turn a rough morning around.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T23:03:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all those friends and family members that are far way in distance but close in our thoughts and heart!

We had a wonderful, low-key day (until Kate started to feel sick). We started the day with a big, special breakfast with Mommy and Daddy! Then we all cuddled on the coach (Shayla too) to watch the Macy's Day Parade and see Santa. After a nap (for all of us), we headed off to Papa and Gigi's house for the "feast". Kate has been eagerly anticipating the feast for weeks, declaring that she will eat cornbread and cranberries. She lived up to her word and ate cornbread and that's about it.

Shaun, Deb, Brenden and Collin were there. Sadly Brian and Jecholia were visiting other family in Virginia. Grammy, Nana Linda, a dear friend, Sally, were also present. And traveling all the way from Massachusetts were the special guests: Aunt Jackie, Uncle Tim and cousins Melissa and Matt. It was a great group to spend time with and reflect on the blessings of family.

Sadly we were the first to leave as Kate seemed a bit off. Little did we know that the next day she would entire a four day battle with a cough, runny nose and fever. Poor baby. Here are a few shots of the three musketeers before Kate took ill.

A Big Day For Us...

2009-11-18T22:38:00.006-05:00

Today we had our 20 week sonogram! Even though this is baby number two for us, it is still so amazing to see the details that technology is able to deliver. I must admit I teared up watching the heart beat and seeing all five fingers on a open hand. Amazing. God truly does knit us together in our mother's wombs.

I had this grand idea of keeping the sex of the baby a secret until Thanksgiving when I could do a big family reveal. However, I was so excited today. And it's no fun to have such wonderful, exciting news and not be able to share it with people who are equally as excited as you. So I broke down after not even 24 hours and spilled the beans. So for all the world to know...we are excited to announce that we are having a baby BOY! Kate is now telling people she's having a baby brother. I'm glad she can know; it makes it more real, I think, to talk about a brother rather than just a baby.

Already the kids are different. When we had Kate's sonogram, she tossed and turned and rolled and moved the entire time. The sonogram technician had a lot of trouble getting good shots because Kate kept moving. And to this day Kate still moves non-stop. Just tonight I had to chase her around the room and wrestle her to the ground to put on her jacket. Yet, this little fella stayed pretty still the whole time moving ever so slightly here and there. He was calm and content. I am hoping he'll be my mellow one- compared to Kate that is. Can't wait to meet the little guy. 20 more weeks to go -- 20 more weeks to deliberate over boy names. April 6th (or there abouts) will come faster than we can imagine!

Fall Fun and Family

2009-11-14T21:14:00.007-05:00

Beautiful Fall Day with Family

Morning Fun Building Tents

Papa Gallagher's Birthday!

Latest in Katonese

2009-11-14T21:08:00.002-05:00

Kate lined up two of her dolls on her rocking chair. "Listen up, girls, I am going to tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a girl named Jack. How'd you like that story girls? Let's go meet Jack." And she grabbed her dolls and went to a toy chest. Not sure who Jack is though?

Walking through Whole Foods dairy section on Friday, Kate sniffs the air. "Mommy, I smell cheese. It smells like poopy diapers!"

All day long today Kate has been calling me "Mommy Dinosaur". I want milk Mommy Dinosaur. Mommy Dinosaur, baby dinosaur wants a snack. Etc.

Trunk or Treat '09

2009-10-31T09:12:00.003-04:00

Last Weekend our church hosted it's annual Trunk or Treat event. The kids get dressed in their costumes and roam from decorated car trunk to decorated car trunk collecting candies and goodies. This year Kate was a pirate. She and her cousin, Brenden, have been playing pirates most of the summer-so it was an easy theme to continue. Unfortunately Kate wasn't feeling 100% that day (hence the lack of smiles), but it was still a fun day.

Kate and her daddy!

The three cousins in all their glory!

Kate's excitement upon seeing Brenden at the church!

Lighthouses and ...

2009-10-17T22:28:00.000-04:00

We ventured out to Bodie Island Lighthouse on Friday. It was pretty overcast as you can tell by the photos. It was still nice to go though. Kate really like the light house. She keeps asking to see light houses. We were going to make the hike down to the Cape Hatteras light house, but it was closed for the season. So we'll do next year, maybe. :) Shawna and Bri climbed the Currituck lighthouse in Corolla later that afternoon. It was very windy and rainy, but they were glad to make it to the top!

A family photo: My preggo belly seemed to pop this week while we were away!

Kate was in a silly mood. She seems to be making lots of funny faces today! Here she is with her cousin Bri. Kate is really going to miss Gabriella when she leaves on Monday!

and Airplanes

2009-10-17T21:52:00.001-04:00

Anyone who knows my husband, knows how much Josh loves airplanes. (He use to have his pilot's license.) Kate has her daddy's gene's because every since she saw her first plane, her love for them has grown too! It was a must to visit the Wright Brother's Memorial while we were in the Outer Banks.

There happened to be a kite festival on the grounds of the visitor's center. Kate was mesmerized by some of the larger kites.

Rainy Day Adventure

2009-10-15T16:51:00.007-04:00

Kate woke up this morning ready for a new adventure. But where do you go when it's raining at the beach, other than touristy beach shops? Well, we went off to the aquarium today!!

Kate had never been to an aquarium before, and I was really excited to see her reactions to the fish and animals. We walked in and everything she saw evoked, "Wow, Mommy" or "Look, Daddy!" She really enjoyed the experience.

A few friendly creatures greeted us upon arrival at the aquarium.

There was a sting ray tank where the kids could reach in and touch the rays as they swam by. Much to our surprise, Kate, typically quite brave and adventurous, shyed away from the chance to touch a ray. She did reach in with much prompting, but I think God gives you an innate sense of danger: stay away from sharks and anything that has the word sting in it! She's no fool! She did touch a sea urchin though in the tidal pool.

Kate saw all kinds of fish, alligators, snakes, salamanders, eels, frogs, and sharks! There was a huge shark tank, and two divers were in cleaning the tank. One of the divers waved to Kate from the tank, but she was a little apprehensive about getting too close to the moving sharks.

Of course there were also turtles to been seen - a favorite of Kate's and Daddy's. The aquarium had a unique sea turtle rehab center, where they saved sick turtles and return them to wild when they are able. They also had a sea turtle tracking exhibit, that seemed pretty interesting. Here are Kate and Daddy with some fresh water turtles.

So at the end of the day, when we sit and talk to Kate about her time at the aquarium asking her what her favorite animal was that she saw today. Kate responds, "The persons waving!" Out of everything she saw, it was the diver in the shark tank that waved to her sticks in her memory.

Off to the Outer Banks

2009-10-14T17:41:00.009-04:00

We are taking our beach vacation a little late this year; however, there is something wonderful about the ocean in the autumn. Josh managed to work a business deal so that we got a week's stay at a family's home in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. The house overlooks the sound and is in a nice quiet neighborhood with beautiful walking paths and quick access to the beach.

Yesterday, Josh, Kate, Shayla, Auntie Shawna and Cousin Gabriella all went for a swim in the ocean, while mommy stayed homed and enjoyed a wonderful nap. Kate has loved flying kites with Daddy (Daddy bought her a small turtle kite just her size), finding shells, walking to the pier and playing with her cousin! She also enjoys chilling on the balconies and admiring the view.

Our niece, Gabriella, loves horses! So today Uncle Josh took Bri and her mom, Shawna, off on a wild horse adventure! The northern part of the barrier islands is a horse/wildlife sanctuary. There are Spanish mustangs that have roamed these parts of the beach for ages. A tour guide took the three of them in a jeep deep into the dunes and restricted access areas of beach in search for horses (and possibly some boars too!). It was a two hour ride through sand, dunes, and very cold winds. Katie would probably have loved the adventure, but pregnant Mommy and little Kate decided to wait the adventure out this year and plan on doing it another year down the road!

View from the jeep

State law requires humans keep a distance of 50 feet away from the horses. Must be tough to adhere to this law when you walk out your front door and find them munching on your grass!

I Love Firefighters!

2009-10-11T21:16:00.005-04:00

There is a fire station right down the street from our house. We drive past it almost every day. Each time we go by, Kate says, "I love fire fighters!". Her aunt Debbie bought her a fireman's hat a few months ago that she loves to wear, and Daddy bought her a toy fire engine just last month that is one of her favorite toys.

Today, the station hosted an open house, and Josh took Kate and her cousin, Gabriella, to go check out the engines. You might not be able to tell by look on her face, but she really did have a good time. I think the music was really loud for her, and she was a bit apprehensive. However, she loved getting to sit in a fire engine!!

Fall in the Finger Lakes

2009-10-05T15:30:00.007-04:00

Josh and I just returned from a few days in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It was Josh's birthday, and we decided to celebrate with wine country. My parents and my aunt Jeanne and Uncle Billy also joined us. We had a fantastic time. Josh toured a total of 17 wineries. I went to a few, but since I can't drink while pregnant, I opted to spend some time alone in the hotel reading and napping. It was a great balance of romantic time with Josh, fun times with family, and priceless time alone.

The foliage just started to turn toward the end of our stay; it was beautiful. Oh, how the bright colors and crisp autumn air makes me long for New England again. I think part of my soul feels like I'm in New Hampshire when we go to Lake Seneca. We only took a few pictures, but it's hard to capture the essence of what your seeing in a small viewfinder!

Kate and Shayla stayed with "Aunt Holly" in Long Island. She very graciously offered to care for our brood so we could go away. Our trip involved a lot of driving - MD to Long Island (way the heck down long island too)- LI to Upstate New York - back to Long Island - back to MD. We are glad to be home now. We managed to bring Kate and Mia back some incredible pumpkins. Josh bought his share of wine; I shopped at the fresh produce stands!!

Kate Learns to eat noodles without her fork!

2009-09-28T18:47:00.004-04:00

Kate has never been a fan of spaghetti, but tonight she decided to give it a try. Actually, she "swiped Daddy's noodles" off his plate and found out that she loved them. It was a messy dinner, but at least she ate (a rare feat these days). She's a mess, but boy is she cute!

2009-09-06T09:32:00.006-04:00

The video today just makes me laugh! I found the original video of the baby panda sneezing on facebook. It can be seen here:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=50666972814&ref=mf

Like Kate, I can't stop watching the Panda video because it is so funny. I've probably watched it at least 30 times.

I hope this is something that makes you laugh!

Choo Choo!!

2009-09-05T09:09:00.009-04:00

Debbie and I met at the Rio yesterday. The kids were so excited to ride this little train that goes around the promenade area. We actually rode it twice because the kids enjoyed it so much.

Mud Bath

2009-09-04T23:30:00.008-04:00

Last Friday it rained. I had an errand to run in the afternoon, so Josh thought it a great time to take Kate outside for a walk. I guess this proves that when Mom is away the kids get to play (in the mud that is)!

Our Little Girl

2009-08-18T13:26:00.005-04:00

A few more pictures so we can boast of how much we love our Kate!!

Latest Katonese:

The other night, Kate was at my parent's house for a sleep over (sort of - a go to bed but have mommy and daddy pick you up later on - over). Anyway, Kate was getting ready to get into the bath, and with the water running to fill up the tub, she had a little accident on the bathroom floor. She looked down at the puddle by her feet. Then she looked at my mom and said, "Who's gonna clean up this mess?"

This morning Kate was watching her new favorite TV show Max and Ruby. When the episode ended she began to throw a little temper tantrum because she wanted to watch more. She kept saying, "I want attitude! I want attitude!" We are not sure what she was referring to?? Was there a show called attitude? Was the word of the day on Sesame street attitude? Who knows exactly what she was asking for, but I can assure you, Kate, you have plenty of attitude. You don't need any more!

Followup on 9/4: We were joking that someone probably told Kate to "watch your attutude" as in "you need to obey." We finally figured out what she was referring to when she kept asking for attitude. She has been asking to watch the movie (at least part of the movie) called Ratatouille. She really likes the rat in the movie and the cooking scenes. I'm glad that we figured this out, because she was getting quite persistent in asking for it!

Look who just turned 2

2009-08-18T12:30:00.014-04:00

Kate celebrated her 2nd birthday this past weekend. She's been blessed by so many people's generosity. She's still opening presents from Grandma Ann and Papa Dan and the west coast cousins. We're spacing them out over this week. She thinks everyday is her birthday!!

Kate LOVES balloons; we made sure she had some for her party.

Daddy helping Kate blow out her candles on her Dora the Explorer cake.

Yummy!

Kate received so many gifts! Including a Kate-sized violin from her daddy, a outdoor car from Shaun, Deb and the boys, a doll, and so many other things. She is one lucky little girl!

Her very own Dora the Explorer backpack! Daddy even got her a Dora watch too!

Papa got her this tee-shirt. It reads: The leprechauns made me do it! Kate insisted on putting it on over her dress.

Papa and Gigi also got her this incredible play kitchen. Kate has been cooking up a storm all week. She loves it!!