Halloween!

We have this cute little hand-me-down sailor top that I thought would be so cute for Griffin. Until John protested: "You're going to make him be a sailor when he wants to be Buzz Lightyear?!" He had a point. 

So, we really went for it with the Toy Story theme and had Buzz Lightyear and the little alien squeaky toy. Poor Louise. Nothing cute or girly. An alien. I must say she was a pretty cute alien though:)

(Hey, even Buzz gets boogies.)

L&H for Paperless Post: Holiday Cards

I recently added some more designs to my holiday collection for Paperless Post. Recognize anyone in these photos? I always use pics of my kids when I'm designing for Paperless Post. They're real photos, like most people use, and they go well with the unstuffy nature of the designs. I love these for their I hope you like! I've posted a few of my favorite holiday photo cards here.

See all L&H holiday photo cards for Paperless Post here. And see the full L&H holiday collection (including holiday invitations) for Paperless Post here.

Louise is 8 months old!

Geez time sure does fly! Especially when you've got a little tub-a-lub at home growing out of onesies and pjs at a rapid pace. (So rapid that her Mama often can't keep up & she sports her big brother's football pajamas - oops. And who cares. Girls like football too.) 

Louise turned eight months old this week, and I can hardly believe eight months has passed since we were pinching ourselves that she was a she! I remember my late mother-in-law telling me that you can't believe it's possible to love the next child as much as the first, but you do. I never doubted I'd love our second child as much as Griffin, but I guess I wasn't prepared to be bowled over all over again by that love. That my heart could stretch in a new different direction for this new different little person. I love this little girl more than anything. She's my little tubby angel, and I tear up every time I think of how lucky I am to have her in my life & how much pure joy she brings me with every adorable smile. 

Here are eight recent pics of little Louise for her eight amazing months of life.

Weekend in Photos: An All Kids Weekend

I had the kids all to myself this weekend, and I decided I'd test my Mom skills by taking them to places we've never been before. First up - Governor's Island. Or in our case, all the playgrounds that distracted us from even getting on the ferry to Governors Island. The only thing that took Griff away from this awesome "spiderweb" contraption was the Ample Hills Ice Cream stand. Then, just before we got to the ferry dock, with chocolate ice cream dripping down his chin and arms, we passed the most incredible water playground - "The Water Lab." As soon as we laid eyes on this magical spot, the ferry didn't stand a chance. We were there for hours & I already can't wait to go back. 

We also hung out under the Manhattan Bridge, threw rocks into the water & played at the nearby playground. New playgrounds are like new little worlds, and I get so stupidly happy seeing Griffin explore these new-to-him spaces. 

At the end of one day, while enjoying his good boy treat (the carrot I dangle in front of him all day long), he says, "Mommy take a picture of my mad face" (above) and I say, "Okay, but now show me your happy face." (below)

Mommy had both mad & happy faces this weekend too. They looked just like this.

Sorry I didn't take any pics of you, Louise. Mommy loves you for being so portable & easy-going :)

Eating Oysters

I wouldn't touch an oyster. Okay, I'd touch it. With my fingertip. But I will not eat it. No interest. Not even dressed up in hot sauce or baked with breadcrumbs. My dad used to say that you could dunk a dirty sock in cocktail sauce & it would taste great. I'm not buying it. But Griffin loves oysters. Here, he & Daddy sprinkle on the breadcrumbs before baking them. At almost two & a half, he's a more mature eater than his wuss mommy :)

Birthday Boy

Griffin turns two later this week & we had a little party for him over the weekend. It was so fun seeing him better understand the concept of his birthday. Last year, he gagged on his cake & this year, he was so excited, he ate a candle. (The other kids were licking the icing off theirs, but he really went for it.) Last year, he didn't really understand presents or have much interest in opening them. This year, he was suuuper excited about them (see below), save for a brief pause when a gift included a gigantic lollipop that was so enticing, he up & left the gift-opening to try to eat it through the plastic. I have no idea where he gets that from.

PS - 

Two things: First, birthdays should always include balloons. They're the happiest & simplest decoration - big bang for the buck. Secondly, collared shirts on little boys age them by years! He looks so big.