quality time

this past weekend, zack & penny spent some quality time (2 1/2 days, to be exact) with meme and papa, while mom & dad explored nantucket together. we can't wait to visit again as a family (though we sure did like sleeping in, eating at some amazing restaurants, and lingering mid-afternoon at pubs....!)

end-of-summer bounty

because of all the rain we got, our garden didn't do so well this year. the only veggies that really flourished were the cucumbers. zack helped dad pick the final harvest of this summer. good work, zack!

party favor

one of the best parts of being a parent is seeing your child experience things for the first time. so please excuse mom's enthusiasm over zack learning how to blow into a party blower. {really, it is quite a strange and difficult thing to explain how to do!} also, look at his little arms as he blows into it!

(also, at the end, zack says "see it, see it". he's so used to the instant gratification of digital cameras he can't even wait until i'm done filming to see it!)

hazy hot humid

it's been a scorcher here lately. luckily, zack's favorite thing ever is to play with his water table. i guess it's extra refreshing when you dump the cold water down your belly and onto your shorts.

ni night, penny

st. rocco

last sunday, the little keenans went to their first italian festival -- franklin's annual "feast of st. rocco". while they were still too little to indulge in fried dough and sausages, penny and zack took it all in and seemed to have a good time. zack rode a few rides, even. his favorites were the swinging bus and the fun slide. he wasn't such a fan of the "dizzy dragons" and ended up on mom's lap for a while.

pool + picnic = fun playdate

this week has been a total scorcher. zack & penny hosted a fun pool n' picnic playdate so they could visit with their friends and cool off a bit. to be honest, i think penny was just excited to have an excuse to wear yet another one of her cute bathing suits she's been given...

nine is so fine

happy 9 months to you, penny sue!

visit with betz

even though today was a bit drizzly and cool, we cozied up in our sweatshirts and headed to cape cod to visit our friend betsy.

for lunch, mom and betz enjoyed some fantastic fish chowder, chock full of crab and other seafood delights besty and her family had caught this week. besides crawling all over betsy, zack and penny explored the house from top to bottom, loving every minute of it.

we finished the day with a visit to an amazing pottery workshop and gallery, where zack loved dipping his hands in the birdbaths and watching the woman throw a huge bowl on the wheel. hopefully, we didn't wear out our welcome and will be invited back next year. :)

farm tuesday...

visit from auntie allie

we were all so happy that auntie allie found time in her very busy east coast family tour to visit with us for the day on sunday. penny was thrilled to finally meet her (though it was tricky to get a good shot, as the little monkey doesn't feel like sitting still much these days) and zack was very eager to show her his baby book, including his favorite, the "home depot picture". sadly, there are no photos of allie and mom, who enjoyed the visit most of all :)

fun fun saturday

this weekend, mom & dad went to ct for a very special birthday dinner for grampy's 60th birthday. zack & pen were so excited to spend some time with me me & papa lou.

zack reading "I Am A Big Brother" with papa:
penny hanging out poolside with meme at kenny, sharon & lauren's house:

the keenan family enjoying some fun in the sun. (i think the kids have their father's coloring!)

the shickos at the dinner: happy 60th, grampy!

pool day

zack and penny had an awesome morning today, playing at our friend kristen, caroline & abby's pool. mom was a bit nervous about managing 2 babies in the pool at the same time, but it actually wasn't bad -- both had cool floaties and zack ended up playing with a toy lawnmower most of the time, which surprised noone. penny, for the record, loved her first pool experience and is ready for many more, should anyone want to invite us over. :)

lunch at the farm

after picking up our CSA share, zack and penny had lunch at the farm today. both kids loved being outdoors and watching the tractors go up and down the fields. zack marvelled at all the big farm machinery and followed the roosters and hens around. at one point, a rooster crowed directly behind zack (much louder than one might imagine) and scared the pants off him. his reaction (final photo) was priceless...

and the award for the dirtiest kid goes to....

i think it's a tie....this one is just too close to call.

sunday sunday....

nothing beats reading the sunday paper with dad...

silly 1 and silly 2