The Zoe and Silas Show

4/30/12: Taking pictures of Mommy.

My mom left yesterday morning, so now I'll be working on getting some pictures posted from all the fun things we did while she was here. "Marathon Monday" (formally known as Patriot's Day) is a big Boston holiday. It's pretty much impossible to get around the city via car or public transportation due to the marathon, so it's a holiday for many organizations. It was a hot April day and I had the day off so we headed to the Arboretum . The kids were decked out in sun hats and sunglasses, And they were excited to go exploring!  Even though the kids walk 98% of the time on these types of outings, we still bring the wagon. We fill it with all of our stuff and they have fun pushing it. Being typical 2-year-olds, there is often a tantrum (or two!) thrown when it's time to end whatever very fun thing we're doing, so we also use the wagon as a twin extraction vehicle. My mom hasn't been to the Arboretum since we got married there a

4/29/12: Checking out the worms that live in our compost.

4/28/12: Taking a break from helping us plant flowers this morning.

4/27/12: Grandma leaves tomorrow morning, so we made Mother's Day pictures for her to hang on their refrigerator when she gets home.

4/26/12: Co-parenting a hungry baby doll.

4/25/12: Having a staredown with Momma Duck.

4/24/12: Getting the milk cups ready before bed.

4/23/12: Trying very hard to figure out how to use the Play-doh scissors.

My mom arrived last weekend and we've been having a great time with her here! Monday was a Boston holiday (marathon) and the weather was in the mid-80s, so we spent the morning at the Arboretum . It's always easier to go shopping when there is another set of hands available, so we've done lots of running around, especially for summer shoes! Countless stories have been read, And they even did some yoga! We went for a 3.5 mile long walk yesterday, And then enjoyed some time in the backyard after nap.  Every morning they run to Grandma's bedroom door and wait for her to come out. We're looking forward to another week of special time with Grandma!

4/22/12: On a mission to find flip-flops at Target.

4/21/12: Ending a very fun playdate with freezepops.

4/20/12: Happy boy heading to the library.

4/19/12: Zoe wearing a plastic conga drum on her head.

4/18/12: Hug.

4/17/12: As soon as the kids woke up this morning they raced to the door of the guest room and started looking for Grandma.

4/16/12: Our two little explorers mapping out the route at the Arboretum.

4/15/12: Pucker up!

Tonight before bed Zoe and I reviewed why she shouldn't crawl out of her crib. She talked about the "little red mark" on her cheek and said that she would "sit down" [???] next time. Tonight I had a belated birthday dinner with a group of mom friends that I adore. Tonight one of those friends wrote birthday poems for me & Eugenia. Mine said, There was once a lady named Alissa, when you can't make mom's lunch, we miss ya! She's a researcher extraordinaire, With nary an air, This super-pro-mom named Alissa! Tonight Vanessa gave me a set of mother's bracelets that I will wear with pride + cherish forever. Tonight we shared a lot of laughs. Tonight I am blessed.

Today started with Zoe jumping out of her crib and scaring the crap out of everyone. All week she has been pretty cranky and throwing tantrums leading up bedtime. As a result, she has tried crawling out of her crib as I'm putting them to bed at night. Each night I've explained how she will get a big boo-boo if she does that, and she responds by insisting that it would only be a little boo-boo. When I heard the clunk and crying I ran in and found her standing up, really scared but okay, She's got a red mark on her cheek and I won't be surprised if it turns into a bruise. She's only crawled out of her crib one other time - last summer I think. None of us are ready for toddler beds, so I'm hoping she scared herself enough to not do it again! Today we had gorgeous weather so we headed over to Cambridge for a playdate with Iris and Peter and Timery and Jason. Peter and Jason are close in age (~almost 2 years) and they will both be big brothers within a week of each