visit with auntie sheila

auntie sheila flew in last weekend to hang out with zack (and meet!) penny. they played a ton in the playroom, went sledding outside, and went to the little gym together. both kids loved having their only auntie around to play!

vacuum time...

on a fine sunday morning.

go, mom, go!

this past week, we got yet another batch of icky weather. the snow was so slushy and heavy that dad wasn't sure how the snowblower would fare. looking to get some fresh air, mom volunteered to shovel (ok, maybe she was really hoping to get out of the driveway for a solo trip to go shopping). zack and penny enjoyed the show from the comfort of the nice warm house.

snowman update

we have one tough snowman! not even rain could bring him down! (however, he fell on tuesday, january 19, after a courageous battle)

Winchell Cuts the Cheese

at one point today, the house grew especially quiet, which usually means the kids are up to no good. this time, though, i came upon zack reading a book (Winchell Cuts the Cheese) to penny in the cozy.

sledding

last week we went sledding with a bunch of friends. we even "tailgated" with hot cocoa and coffee. it was super fun, though zack was a bit blasé about the whole thing. ironically, all he talked about when we got home was going sledding "one more time."

playing together

z & p have recently started playing well together (there's still crying and fighting over toys, but it's minimal). it's so nice to hear them talking a little to one another and quietly enjoying one another's presence in the room. let's hope this is the beginning of many days filled with quiet play time....

sandwich time

zack tried his first sandwich today and did a pretty good job keeping it all together.

well done, zackers!

zack's first snowman

chatham bars inn

this past week, we were all lucky enough to accompany nonnie and grampy on a 2-night visit to the chatham bars inn on cape cod for a little r&r. zack and penny had so much fun seeing all the christmas decorations, including the nutcrackers (which zack calls "hello there!") and the train that runs through the gingerbread village/replica of the hotel. thanks to our proximity to the ocean and penny's refusal to sleep past 4 am, we got to see a wonderful sunrise over the water. happy new year!

the guys & penny check out the train

zack, looking for more "hello theres!"

hanging out in the big chair

pointing out the boats during breakfast (yes, he's eating a rice krispie treat...desperate times call for desperate measures...)

nonnie reads to penny so mom & dad can pack the car

one last attempt at a photo before we left (pretty much sums up life with 2 toddlers!)