Little Keenans

so little they were

2012-01-29T18:40:00.001-08:00

looking back on some old photos in my favorites folder. can't believe these two were ever this little!

small moments

2012-01-26T19:42:00.001-08:00

the best part of having "homework assignments" for my class is that i am really trying to take pictures a tiny bit every day. the camera has sort of been living on my kitchen counter and i'm able to grab it quick and capture some of the small moments of our normal day. those moments that you take for granted usually but when captured in a photo, remind you of how much you enjoy these little moments and these little ones. reminds me how lucky i am to be able to stay home with them and experience so much with them.

penny, checking out her lipgloss in the mirror!
cooperating and enjoying a video together on mom's iphone.

more photos, more posts?

2012-01-22T11:56:00.001-08:00

new year, new camera! also taking a photography class with my good pal melissa (she's also a student, not the teacher). each week we have an assignment to complete. last week we were to focus on using a variety of vantage points and focusing on a small detail in one of our photos. with only 2 classes under my belt, i am already enjoying taking photos so much more. seeing many, more frequent blog posts in the future!

future star?

2012-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

i've probably watched this a gazillion times. love her so much.

happy birthday to meme!

2012-01-13T17:21:00.001-08:00

happiest of birthdays to the best meme around! can't wait to see you tomorrow!

happy 2012!

2012-01-01T13:34:00.001-08:00

penny drew this "guy with owies on his belly, dancing". there will be a post about the megatons of artwork they've been working on coming soon. till then, happy new year!

christmas eve 2011

2011-12-24T18:24:00.001-08:00

merry christmas from the little keenans!

sharing a hug after our ride to go see the lights at millis wonderland.

decorating cookies for santa (our xmas eve ritual)
zack thought it was important for santa to have "something healthy" as well as cookies. he opted for a carrot. note: new spongebob jammies for christmas!
carrot and lettuce (zack's idea, again) for the reindeer.

visit with santa!

2011-11-26T10:09:00.001-08:00

For the first time yet, both kids were not only willing, but excited to sit with Santa! Thanks to a backup in the photo line, the kids also had a chance to chat with St. Nick and tell him exactly what they wanted for Christmas. Penny asked for a scooter, while Zack let Santa know how much he would like a Spongebob suitcase and pillow! Grandpa Keenan, who is visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday, also caught a few candids, which I'll be sure to post later!

three!!

2011-11-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

interrupting the radio silence to wish my favorite gal a very happy 3rd birthday!!

music together

2011-10-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

not-so-recent short video of z&p making music together at the de Cordova. makes me smile, how absorbed they are in the task.

don't mix the....eh, nevermind!

2011-10-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

since as long as they were big enough to even mush play-doh in their tiny hands, i've been not exactly insisting, but encouraging the kids to not mix up the colors. sure, here and there we'd mix colors to see what new color we could create, but i thought it was best to have the most possible colors, the most options.

that was until dad was left to his own devices and decided it would be fun to mix all the colors into one giant pancake. dad = always the fun one :)

rolling it....
smacking it good with a spatula....
yay, giant pancake!

another fall, another apple picking trip

2011-09-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

there's nothing like a good afternoon of apple-picking to kick off fall!
it was a bit of a slow start, with 2 sleepyheads....
tim was ready to go, though!getting into the swing of things...
zackers, you've got half the tree there!
sampling the goods...penny reviews the rules before selecting her pumpkin...

zack picks a winner!happy family.......and happy anniversary (5 years!) to my dear husband. xo

big kids on campus!

2011-09-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

zack and penny started preschool today (year #2 for him, year #1 for her). their teachers are mrs. butera and mrs. crocker, respectively and so far so good! penny was a little apprehensive, given the 1st day chaos around us, but felt comforted by her teacher and went right in after washing her hands. zack struggled a bit when we left him (lots of crying), but when we picked him up, he said "i was crying for a little while, but then i had fun!" he also noted that he would not cry tomorrow." :)

today was a bit of an orientation, with penny's class attending for an hour, followed by zack's class attending for an hour. tomorrow will begin the regular schedule which means mom will have a whole 2.5 hours of free time! fun for all!

bye bye binky...hello bed.

2011-09-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

it seems like yesterday that zack was (reluctantly) giving up his binky. with some persuasion from dad, penny decided that she was ready to give hers up as well and get a big girl bed as a reward.

penny gives her binky to "baby sam". :)
seals the deal with a kiss....and is pretty darn pleased with herself.first night in the newly converted toddler bed!
night 2: there's even room for mom to squeeze in a read a story.someone's excited...!

: )

snuggle sandwich

2011-09-11T20:19:00.001-07:00

best buds watching tv together.

our favorite boy is four!

2011-09-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

happiest of birthdays to our best buddy. you're not only the cutest little guy we know, but the sweetest as well.

we hope you had a wonderful party this weekend. you seemed to really love it -- that night after the party, you told us "I want to be four forever...." you're just the sweetest. xo

swan boats

2011-09-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

last friday, tim was able to take a half day -- so we took advantage of the gorgeous weather (just before hurricane irene stirred things up) and headed into boston to ride the swan boats, as well as hit the frog pond and playground.

zack checks out another swan boat
mom and pen
tim and the kids with the bridge behind them
i just love how penny's hair curls right up in the humidity. getting longer!
silly family shot!
our snuggly guy with dad
hello up there!
zack and his new friend, spongebob squarepants, in beacon hill.

bubble beard

2011-08-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

our silly penny in the tubbie

bikes!

2011-08-16T10:36:00.001-07:00

sneaking in a bit of bike riding on their matching bikes this afternoon before the rain comes.

preschool preview

2011-08-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

in just about a month (phew....), both penny and zack will begin what is her first year and his second year of preschool. we swung by recently during an open house so zack could show his lil sis around. i think penelope is going to do just fine!

on the front steps.
penny scopes out the water table.
showing penny the reading nook
in the imaginative play room, tending to their baby.
checking out the dress up clothes.

up in the loft.

spring thing

2011-08-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

something interesting happens when you upload 786 (literally, 786) photos from your iphone to your computer: you find lots of old pics you forgot about. here's some pics of the kids working hard in their gymnastics class (from last spring).

zack gains confidence on the bars.
working on handstands.
penny launches into her cartwheel.
both kids doing a move they've coined "hello everybody!", because when they hang upside down together they yell (what else) "hello everybody!!"
balance...

sunday funday

2011-08-07T16:45:00.001-07:00

the kids had the best time today during a sunday summer downpour.

happy birthday, grampy!

2011-08-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

happy birthday to a wonderful dad & grampy!

we love dad

2011-08-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

zack and penny had the best time with dad on a recent trip to duxbury beach. we wish he could come with us all the time!

hello? hello??

2011-08-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

everyone loves a banana phone!

zonked out

2011-08-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

how tired do you have to be to fall asleep in this position?!

cars!

2011-07-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

last weekend, we took the kiddos to see their first movie in a theater. i think i watched them more than i watched the movie - it was the cutest thing ever to see their expressions. zack sat through the entire film, still as a statue, until the last minute of the movie, when he decided "i want to go home now." penny watched pretty well, but did have to use the loo twice and alternated sitting with mom and dad. all in all, a total success!

meme's office

2011-07-07T19:39:00.001-07:00

zack and penelope during a visit to meme's office (at aetna) a few weeks back.

auntie carey

2011-07-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

my wonderful pal carey (who admittedly does not read this blog -- shame, shame!), was in for a visit this past weekend. as luck would have it, penny had to go to the doc to get a rash on her leg checked out the day she arrived. doctors visits are so much easier with auntie carey around! can we keep her?!

lazy days of summer

2011-06-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

i just love this shot of penny and zack cooling off at nearby lake winthrop.

sotryland fun

2011-06-11T20:36:00.001-07:00

the excitement builds (well, at least zack's does)

our "time out" spot off the highway

zack was obsessed with the map

the teacups were much faster than one would think!

awww....

flying dutch shoes were super fun

awww, sweet zackers

best buds

milking

this is what penny is going to look like with hair!

they were so excited to meet cinderella!

poncho time!

great time had by all! see you next time, storyland!

españa

2011-06-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

many many thanks to everyone who helped make my recent trip to spain possible - we all know that when you have kids, getting away is tricky business. thanks to tim, nonnie (lisa), and mary for taking over in my absence. it was an amazing experience -- we covered the first 3 stages of the "camino a santiago", a famous pilgrimage route that crosses northern spain. my pal carey and I (who I met when living in sevilla way back in '97!) hiked the 45 miles from st. jean pied de port france to pamplona, spain. traveling on foot is an amazing way to see the country and meet people other pilgrims/hikers from all over the world.

i can't wait to begin the next stage in a year or two or three....(babysitting volunteers!?) :)

nice to come home to :)

faux hawk

2011-05-31T13:49:00.001-07:00

someone's hair is growing!

"stirring guy"

2011-05-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

penny looks for any and all opportunities to "help" these days. it would be unthinkable for me to attempt to make pancakes without her assistance. as soon as i mention pancakes, she yells "i want to be the stirring guy!" unfortunately, the stirring guy eats half of the batter before it even makes it into the pan.

summer kickoff beach visit

2011-05-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

the little keenans got a head start on the long memorial day weekend with a visit to duxbury beach, one of our favorite summer hangouts

busy, busy

so busy

relaxed. and btw -- it's not nearly as chilly as the kids are making it look!

brimfield 2011

2011-05-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

alright, alright. i know -- i've been slacking on the blog again. but it's only because we're out having so much FUN.

here's some pics from our first brimfield visit of 2011:

ready to roll!!

penny adored this suzy homemaker stove

just cute

would love these hanging on somewhere. who doesn't love a potluck?

this guy totally reminded me of this, back in chatham in dec 2009

"mommy is that a real reindeer?" "no zack, it's fake." :(

what a sweet little table & chairs set for a playroom

zack, trying his FIRST donut (not because we don't love donuts, but, you know... because of his allergies, he can't have any from bakeries/chain places)

and it was an amazing Faddy's Donut to boot.

look at all those matchbox cars in that neato shelf to hold them in!

uh oh, we lost one. it was exhausting eating that donut!

pit stop before we head out. well done, team keenan!

road trippers

2011-04-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

so far this (super chilly) spring, we've taken a bunch of road trips to boston and beyond. here's some misc. pics from our adventures.

kidcity, middletown, ct

ikea, new haven

girls gone shopping, parking lot

boston common playgound, ma

widener library, cambridge

border cafe, harvard square

boston common playground, ma

curious george book store, harvard square

carpenter center, cambridge

casey's crossing, holliston

john wallace middle school, newington

(with beloved 8th grade teacher mrs. miller)

still my snuggle bunny

2011-04-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

now that we're supposed to straighten her legs out when she sleeps (see previous post), i can't help but adore penny's favorite sleeping position even more. all scrunched up - just like when she was a wee one!

skater!

2011-04-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

recently, penny saw a doc at children's hospital for some in-turning of her leg (to spare you the technical name and details). he things a few things will help this out, among them, physical therapy and ice skating. PT appt booked and we hit the ice for the first time this week!

after getting her skates laced up, penny began by "marching" on the soft, cushiony floor to get her balance and get used to being on one blade. after that, she was surprisingly comfortable taking the ice with the instructor (luring her out there with a giant bowl of lollipops probably had something to do with this). penny began seated on the ice and gradually worked up to standing (which some kids don't do till their 3rd or 4th lesson i guess?!) and even "skated" over to the instructor, using her newfound marching skills. penny was only on the ice for about 5 minutes or so, but her little legs were probably tired and we're as proud as can be.

ICA

2011-04-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

a couple weeks back, it seemed we all caught some sort of horrible cold/flu. tim happened to get his wave on the weekend, so i packed up the kids and got out of the house pronto. we headed up to the ICA in boston to check out a family day with activities/films for kids. unfortunately, zack decided he did NOT like contemporary art (at least for now), so we spend much time checking out the sights and riding the super cool elevator. still, an afternoon well-spent, even if just for the fresh air.

homemade playdough.

2011-04-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

spring, where are you? in the meantime, i've made some homemade playdough to keep us entertained.

hello brooklyn, hello veda june!

2011-03-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

well, it's no secret that the little keenan blog has fallen behind a bit. with flu, fevers, stomach issues, and sinus infections being passed back and forth at home, our "free" time has been slim. however, we're back and ready to catch up on some old-ish news.

a few weeks ago, dad had a week-long business trip. mom and the little keenans saw this as a perfect opportunity to hit the road and explore a bit. first stop (after meme and papa's house), brooklyn! we were so excited to meet then-2-week-old veda june (heather and andrew's lovely little gal) and have a yummy (yet little crazy with my 2 wild kids) lunch with kristen and heather. we even dropped into a park slope playground to stretch our legs a bit. the road trip was a success, thanks for my fantastic travel buddies!

out with the baby, in with the big boy

2011-03-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

zack's "big boy" room has been complete for a few weeks now. mom did all the painting and the only new item in the room is the bed (well, the curtain fabric is new & i sewed those myself. i also bought the balloon print on etsy a while ago for him, knowing i wanted some dashes of red in there somewhere). i found the vintage desk at a thrift store while pregnant with zack. originally, it held zack's diapers etc. next to his changing table in his nursery, but now makes the perfect little nightstand, complete with drawers for his cars, etc.

oh, and one last thing: i was going to paint the inside back wall of the closet a COLOR (green maybe?). but now i'm leaning towards leaving it as is. thoughts?

why i mostly shower at the gym during the week

2011-03-03T14:25:00.000-08:00

this is what happens if i attempt to shower during the day with both kids at home. what you can't see well in the pics is that they colored their scalps and feet too. actually, according to zack, penny did all the coloring and he was totally innocent. ha...

friends with hand-me-down benefits

2011-02-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

today we had our friends kaylee & virginia (along with moms esther & camille) over for a fun fondue lunch / playdate. a couple of months ago, virginia was nice enough to pass along some very cute hand-me-downs to penny. with this in mind, penny today asked me (right in front of virginia, no less), "can i have that purple shirt one day?" i think penny just looks up to her friend, as you can see in the photos. :)

the dingo ate your baby

2011-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

silly kids.

new green sneaks

2011-02-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

zack's old pumas have been getting a tad snug on him. while at the mall the other day, we walked by the kids shoe section of nordstrom on our way out. i figured i'd just peek at what styles were out, but before i could even browse the selection, zack yelled out 'i want the green ones!" luckily, the "green ones" weren't a gazillion dollars. he seems pretty pleased with his choice, don't you think?

note: they're even GREENER in person. and he's now wanting to wear green daily. you know, to match the sneaks.

number 6

2011-02-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

penny had her 6th laser treatment last friday to remove her port wine stain. she was a big girl, carrying her lunch bag (thank you, aunt essie) and cruising around children's hospital without a stroller. we visited her favorite sites, including the big rube goldberg in the lobby, the fishies, and of course, the bubble wall. penny caught on pretty quickly why she was there, pointing to the exam table and saying "mommy, i don't want to go up there, i want to go home!" she was a brave girl, though, and calmed down just seconds after the treatment (and in time to get her dora stickers).

back in business!

2011-02-15T19:42:00.001-08:00

the little keenans finally have camera access again, thanks to mom & dad's new iphones. with a visit to the doc (for an incessant cough) for penny and a couple of time-outs for zack, our valentine's day wasn't all a bed of roses, but these heart-shaped pancakes (followed by heart-shaped cantaloupe, waffles, and sandwiches) sure cheered everyone up!many more posts to come soon!

zackers at school

2011-02-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

every now and then, one of zack's teachers, mrs. knight, will send a note home to us with some photos tucked inside so we can catch a glimpse into zack's days at dean college children's center. it's been a great way to get a "fly on the wall" view of what he's up to.

this photo is from early fall: using markers and learning how to punch holes in paper

this photo is from the past week: helping to make waffles (special thanks to the woman who coordinates all the snacks so that they would be sure to be egg-free and not contain ingredients from a plant that processes nuts!) and reading in the cozy reading nook under the loft.
we have recieved other photos and often, zack is hanging out by the playdoh table, one of his favorite haunts. it's nice to see him exploring other things too!

next year, penny will join zack 3 mornings a week (leaving me with a total of 7.5 hour of "free" time per week - woo hoo!). i can't wait to see penny come into her own the way he has. also, i'll be able to volunteer at the school sometimes since both will be there at the same time!

what's going on?!

2011-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

what's going on with the little keenans, you ask? well, we dropped our camera and it broke (and by WE, I mean TIM). so, as soon as I motivate I will be posting some older pics while we figure out this camera situation. is it me, or does everything seem to need replacing at the same time?

lobster and the bumble bee

2011-01-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

meme and papa scored some super cute costumes post-halloween and gave them to the kids for xmas. they're having loads of fun, running around the house as the lobster and the bumble bee.

sayonara, diapers!

2011-01-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

the upside of being snowed in part of the week? penny is potty trained! woo-hoo! the keenans are officially diaper-free!! (ok, i guess it's unofficial, since both still use nighttime diapers, but we're excited nonetheless!)

outdoor fun

2011-01-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

the day after xmas, a winter storm dumped a whole lotta snow on massachusetts. we braved the absolutely frigid temps the following day to get in some play time in our yard. a few days later, it warmed up considerably and we were able to get in some sledding with good friends and built a couple of snowmen in our yard.

luckily, santa brought the kids some snuggly sleeping bags to help warm their bones after all the fun.

christmas eve fun

2010-12-24T19:40:00.001-08:00

the keenans spent christmas eve solo this year (so that the kiddos could wake up in thier own house/beds). at first, mom thought it might be a tad ho-hum, but it ended up being an absolute blast. the kids are at GREAT ages for the whole santa thing and they were as cute as can be, singing christmas carols and being extra good. here's how the eve unfolded:

a little play time in boxes (random, but cute nonetheless):
making (vegan...no milk, eggs, or butter but still pretty yummy) cookies for santa.
rolling the sicilian white cookie balls

while the cookies cooled after baking, the keenans took a trip to see the awesome christmas display at the millis wonderland. it was amazing and we got in with barely any wait! funny enough, though it was only 5:30 when we went, both kids fell asleep on the short drive there. we literally had to shake zack awake to see the lights!

back home -- time for some glaze and sprinkles!

we then began our annual (?) "making homemade popcorn" ritual. it's where we make homemade popcorn (the old fashioned way, in a pot) and eat it. what does this have to do with christmas? you'll have to ask tim, who came up with the idea. unfortunately, we have no photos of this exciting event ;)

ready for bed, out tiniest elf leaves cookies for santa and lettuce (all we had in the house...) for the reindeer.
mom and dad ordered sushi in and had a wonderful, relaxing evening. perfect prelude to what will be a busy christmas day.

merriest of christmases to all!

TP

2010-12-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

each day, while in the restrom, zack unrolls and rerolls the toilet paper. we appreciate the fact that he rolls it up but it makes it a tad difficult to use. silly zack!

coach

2010-12-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

penny is refusing to wear a diaper this afternoon, so we're doing a mini potty training session. zack has been coaching her through the process, even sitting next to her so she doesn't get bored. he even insisted that she borrow some of his undies. :)

dentist!

2010-12-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

zack went to the dentist this past weekend for his first cleaning. he did awesome! on a scale of 1-4 (4 being the best in terms of behavior / dealing with it), zack scored a 4. much better than the last visit that mom took him to, where he actually managed to score a 0!

urban planner

2010-12-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

a not-so-tall tale

2010-12-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

we got a tree last sunday.

zack picked it out. it was a little tree but looked pretty good.
since you can't take the first tree you set eyes on, we walked around to check out some more.
...and more...
...and more.
but we ended up back where we started,, with zack's tree (tied to the roof since we forgot to empty out the trunk)
oops! dad forgot we had a tree on top of the car and pulled into the garage. it made some scratching noises. looks kinda puny on our car.
but the tree was still perfect.
maybe we should have zack make more of our decisions.
merry christmas.

special visit

2010-12-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

the keenans had a special visit from "auntie" tara and "uncle" ryan last weekend. they are due in may with their first baby and her baby bump could not be any cuter. penny thought so too, obviously. the kiddos loved playing with tara and ryan, especially with uncle ryan and his basketball belly baby!

uh oh! looks painful, ryan!
dr. penny (in scrubs, of course) checks the situation out.
zack really wants his ball back!

happy thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

nothing says "happy thanksgiving" like some nagging from relatives that you don't update the blog enough. well, you guys are right. here you go and thanks for a top-notch turkey day!

the day started off by tim, pen, and zack taking a trip up to boston to pick up grandpa keenan at the airport. they got in a bit of play time before we headed to grampy and nonnie's for some yummy dinner and great company.

penny shows "abba dabba" her fishing puzzle...
...and then teaches him how to play. :)
of course, zack & penny have to sneak in some art time today (like any other day)...sharing the paper so nicely

let the festivities begin! little monkey penny refused to wear the special thanksgiving dress i had bought her, so she wore one of her old favorites.
uncle john shows his love for annie.
the shicko clan.
and the keenans (with both kids almost looking). penny, of course is being her silly self and making a "fish face".

happy thanksgiving everyone! and thanks for being nice enough to have read this far! :)

a success!

2010-11-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

penny sues birthday was a great one. we have a happy little 2-year old on our hands. :)

you're two, penny sue!

2010-11-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

a look back at the past year with our darling penelope...

happy halloween!

2010-10-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

hope you all had a terrific halloween! thanks to some great neighbors, zack & penny were able to trick or treat safely (not easy with severe allergies to all nuts, no dairy, etc). luckily, three houses were enough for these two! they were terrified by anything remotely scary....too cute!

busy day for penny

2010-10-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

penny had an er....eventful day. first, she did #2 during her afternoon crib-time (she's decided she's no longer a napper). this in and of itself isn't news, but she decided to keep me on my toes by taking off her sleepsack AND diaper. so, that was interesting. when i asked penny what happened she exclaimed "eeew! it was a stinky poopie!". then, before her bath, she decided to go peepee on the potty for the very first time. perhaps she's telling us something? dreaming of a diaper-free household!

this pic of penny is from june, when we were potty training zack. she doesn't like feeling left out, so we indulged her a bit.

oh my goodness!

2010-10-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

this video cracks me up.

what a weekend, part 1

2010-10-15T18:57:00.001-07:00

this past weekend was certainly action-packed. so action-packed, in fact, that it takes up two posts. on saturday, we started the weekend off with a bang by picking up grandpa keenan ("abba dabba") at the airport. later, meme, papa, grampy, and nonnie came over for a joint b-day celebration for both zack & penny. here are some pics from the party. zack's favorite part had to be the monkey cupcakes, which he nearly downed in one bite!

fun on the swings with nonnie

mom helps z & p open their gifts

penny tries out her new mop and cleaning gloves :)

the whole gang says hello (minus tim, the cameraman)

goofing around with abba dabba in the tent

the whole family takes a break to watch a bit of "shrek"

you can't go wrong with monkey cupcakes

what a weekend, part 2

2010-10-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

on sunday zack, penny, mom and dad had a great breakfast at miss mendon diner. afterwards, we had a lovely time taking a hayride and going pumpkin picking at tangerini's farm. the highlight of the weekend, however (at least for mom), was on monday. mom ran in the tufts 10K for women and her favorite keenans came to cheer her on.

ready for the hay ride!
zack & abba dabba
penny picks a pumpkin that's as tiny as she is
race day! penny looks for mom among the sea of legs.
there they are! (laura with friends jenn, melissa, and sam)
here I go! (taken by our friend karen at the harvard bridge)

while mom runs, the kids enjoy the carousel in boston common

penny & abba dabba at the post-race lunch
we need a beer!
zack gives a "thumbs up"!

visit with "cousins"

2010-10-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

a few weeks back, while dad was on his "guys weekend" in idaho, zack and penny had a nice visit in ct with second cousins niko, charlie, and, of course, new baby lena. they had so much fun playing with charlie when we went to meet the new bundle of love. then, we headed over to the "corn fest" in wethersfield. truth be told, i didn't see any actual corn but they did have a bunch of fun bouncy houses, games and a hay ride. we were extra lucky to have meme and papa with us as well. zack showed of some of his new preschool skills (ie: waiting patiently in line) while waiting to get in the bouncy house. dad had the camera in idaho, so i wasn't able to capture many shots, but auntie sandy caught a few cute moments. coincidentally, today is charlie's 5th birthday - happy birthday second cousin charlie!

finally, the following day we took zack and penny over to the carousel in bushnell park in hartford. penny sat on mom's lap nervously but zack was thrilled to have his own horse! all in all, a perfect fall weekend!

"It's tape"

2010-10-06T12:15:00.001-07:00

Zack has been in preschool for three weeks now and I cannot overstate how awesome his school is. Not only is it totally safe for allergy kids, but he gets to explore and play with his favorite things each and every day -- the way preschool should be! It's no wonder, then, that he's been spending some quality time at the playdough station and art tables. Here are a few of his creations thus far. My favorites are his first ever attempts at using scissors (he is SO excited to be able to use them!) and also the piece he made today -- it's the tube and tape project that he titled "It's tape". Too funny...

whoopsies!

2010-10-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

Tim and I brought Zack & Penny to the local fire station on Saturday, where they climbed on the firetrucks and ran around like maniacs....only to realize later that the open house there wasn't until the next day. Oops.

potluck

2010-09-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

last night we were lucky enough to come together as a community and celebrate the success of the Farm's start up season. the food turned out delicious and the band (a group of students from the local high school) was great! an added bonus: I finally had an excuse to use all my second hand tablecloths / cloth napkins at one time!

first day!

2010-09-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

zack had a wonderful first day at preschool. after walking him in and hanging up his backpack, zack went into the room where all the blocks are and said "bye mommy, bye penny". no looking back! at pick-up the kids were all so cute sitting on the bench waiting for their mommies with their backpacks on. he told me "i love preschool!" sweet zack - he makes my heart sing!

zack gives a "thumbs up" on his first day.

happy third birthday, zack!

2010-09-07T04:55:00.001-07:00

summer / fall

2010-09-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

the little keenans bid a final farewell to summer this weekend with a visit to the beach with nonnie and grampy on saturday and said hello to fall with an apple-picking trip to tougas farm on monday. here's the trip mom remembered the camera for:

excavator

2010-09-01T19:30:00.001-07:00

our good friends down the street are putting a pool in their yard. lucky for the little keenans, we've been able to get some sneak peeks into the excavation and construction. zack seems to be "digging" hanging out in the excavator bucket with his pal tyler (sorry, couldn't resist).

burlington

2010-08-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

we survived our long weekend trip to burlington! we applied lessons learned from the ogunquit trip and had a grand old time. the dvd player in the car sure didn't hurt either. that and the fact that zack wasn't afraid to use a "big boy" potty. made being out and about much easier. thanks to uncle john and liz for being great hosts and babysitting on that 2nd night! we slacked a bit (ok, a lot) with the picture taking, though...

penny gets her hands wet at the aquarium:
uncle john and the kids enjoy their bunny grahams.

honk!
moo!
penny is zonked out after a yummy breakfast at penny cluse's.
so sweet snoozing in the same room...
best buds!
the kids ride in the "tunnel".

summer fun with meme and papa

2010-08-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

meme and papa visited this past weekend and slept over 2 nights. we all had so much fun - we went to the "feast of st. rocco", the beach, and spend a load of quality time playing together!

one of the boys

2010-08-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

since we purchased an oversand permit for the summer, we've been frequenting duxbury beach with some good friends. this week, penny had such a good time with tyler and andrew. the three of them were so cute together....

lake at the cape

2010-08-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

here are some pics from our trip to the cape a couple of weeks ago to visit our friend betsy. the kids had a good ol' time feeding the duckies at the lake...and zack, clearly, loved wearing betsy's goggles.

ogunquit

2010-07-31T10:40:00.001-07:00

we've finally recovered enough from our trip to ogunquit to post some pics. the town is great and we enjoyed it, but our little friends are still a bit tricky to travel with. they did great sleeping in the same room, though!

a visit from auntie

2010-07-23T04:36:00.000-07:00

this year, mom headed to brimfield with her pal heather (sorry, penny and zack!). we were all so lucky to have lots of quality time with her - we took a trip to the beach, to the farm, to "tarjay", and even went out to dinner. thanks for coming up to visit, auntie heather!

blueberry picking and the "jungle"

2010-07-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

the little keenans stopped by grampy and nonnie's yard yesterday to pick a few blueberries and check out "the jungle" in the way back of the yard. zack insisted that mommy "go away" and "stay by the blueberry bushes" so they could explore on their own. i caught my first glimpse into what his teenage years will be like : (

beach feet

2010-07-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

penny's tan lines from her saltwater sandals:zack's tan lines from his crocs.
true indications of a good summer!

meme and papa visit

2010-07-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

meme and papa came to visit this past weekend. penny is so smitten with her papa, can you tell? also, zack and pen had a great time jumping on and building "houses" with the cushions while mom washed the covers to their chairs.

also: penny's dress used to be laura's!

border cafe

2010-07-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

yesterday, we met up with paula (mom's old boss from her work/study job at Radcliffe) at the border cafe in harvard square. the kids waited very patiently outside the restaurant and barely made a peep during lunch. not sure why they were so mellow, but i think buying them each a bulldozer gift (read:bribe) minutes before may have helped.

corn on the cob

2010-07-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

the little keenans had their first experience eating corn right off the cob -- and i can't get enough of the funny faces they make...

three guys and little lady

2010-06-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

this past weekend, mom took off to long island for a girls weekend (i know, i know....i've been spoiled a little bit lately). grandpa keenan (abba dabba) flew in for a visit with his son and favorite grandkids. blueberry picking, out to dinner both nights, playground time -- looks like the keenan men handled the kids just fine!

father's day breakfast

2010-06-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

thanks, tim, for all you do. we love you!

is it september yet?

2010-06-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

today, zack and mom had a special "adventure" and went to an open house at zack's preschool. to say he was thrilled is a complete understatement. he was so excited, he could barely focus on one activity and was sure to get a turn doing everything. he's going to love september. :)

the harvest

2010-06-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

zack and penny came along with mom the other day on a cooler, wet morning to see the 4th graders harvest the greens from their plot at the farm. they were so good about walking in the pathways (not on the plants) and thought it was very exciting that i let them spray the hose a couple of times.

beach tent

2010-06-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

we have a sun-blocking beach tent from when the kids were infants and there was actually a sliver of a chance of them sitting still for more than 3 seconds. since we won't be using it at the beach anymore, i thought it might be a fun addition for our playroom. it's now become a cozy place where they snuggle, read, and pretend to open the "shed". quiet moments like this make all the chaos worthwhile.

duxbury beach

2010-05-31T06:22:00.000-07:00

yesterday, we headed to the beach for the first time this season and got to try out our oversand beach pass. we can't even begin to tell you how much easier it is to simply pop the trunk of the car and have all the gear at our fingertips! i have a feeling we'll be spending a bunch of time there this summer!

one down!

2010-05-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

at penny's 18-month appt, her pedicatician mentioned that she thought penny might be ready to potty train. though we thought it seemed a bit early, we gave it a shot anyhow since we happened to be training big brother zack this week (our last attempt to train him was thwarted by a case of an upset tummy -- to put it nicely -- and it took us quite a long time to muster the energy for another go).

penny was decidedly not ready for the potty, but the z-man is on day #7 and going strong! we pretty much had to get the job done this time, since he recently had become very resistant to our trying to change his diaper. although it was chaotic spening a whole day trying to potty train two kids at once, we did get this pretty cute pic of them.

little farmers

2010-05-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

the kids "helped out" (ie: goofed around and tried to step on plants) at the farm this week as two 4th grade classes tended to their plots. i can't wait to see them zack and penny grow up on this land as through the years!

18-month stats

2010-05-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

penny had her 18-month appt. the other day. here are her stats:

weight: 21.0 lbs

height: 30.5 in. (she was freaking out during this, the validity of this measurement is questionable!)

teeth: 9 (6 more in the past few months)! we're gaining on it!

time on our hands....

2010-05-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

ever since zack has given up the binky, he hasn't napped in the afternoon (which is quite the sad thing, for it was at least a daily 3-hour nap!) anyhow, we have alot more hang-out time now and get to goof around with things like the self-timer on the camera.

best dad

2010-05-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

last weekend, tim did an amazing job of taking care of zack & penny solo for nearly 3 full days so i could go enjoy a weekend away in brooklyn visiting auntie heather and see a bunch of friends i hadn't seen in a while. in fact, he did such a good job, i'm not sure the kids even noticed i was gone....

reading one of their favorites, "dr. dan the bandage man".

back massage/book reading at same time...

relaxed and refreshed....
thanks, tim!

a renaissance man

2010-05-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

zack's been feeling quite creative lately. Here he is tending to the petunias...

...teaching his sis a few dance moves......sculpting...

...and painting something for auntie heather's birthday...