Thursday, April 30, 2015

Queens County Farm- April 2015

We've been to the Queens County Farm a lot of times since we moved to Long Island, but actually we hadn't been in a year and half. Miranda had never been before and James no longer remembered having gone. The farm can be super crowded during events but we went on the perfect day because it was almost empty.

Queens County Farm 2015
Miranda meets her first alpaca.

James, what did you like about the farm? "I feed all the goats. And I think the goats like it if I feed them some of Dada's things (the goat feed)."

Queens County Farm 2015
James carefully sharing the feed so each goat gets the same amount.

Queens County Farm 2015
Feeding number 3.

Queens County Farm 2015
There are sheep to feed too!

James then demanded we go on the hay ride. He's a little spoiled. He and I were the only ones on it, and I pretended it was exciting by squealing every time we went over a bump grabbing on to him so I could make him jump each time, and asking him to please hold me down so I don't fall off. He loved it. 

Queens County Farm 2015
Chilling before the ride.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Super Secret Speakeasy 2015

Kevin discovered a (not-so) super secret speakeasy in our neighborhood! This is very exciting as our neighborhood is kind of low on cool. We have a new coffee shop with coffee that's actually good, and if you go through a little secret door there's a bar that more properly belongs in Brooklyn with delicious fancy drinks. If you want to know where it is you will have to come with us, or maybe message us. Ha.

Last week we snuck over there with Nick and Emily while Grandma watched the kids. Thanks, Grandma Kathy!

  April 2015
Me and Kevin enjoying an impromptu double-date

April 2015
Emily and me- not pictured- Nick.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Miranda's 1st and James's 4th Birthday Party 2015

I am so grateful to everyone who came and everyone who couldn't come but sent presents for our little love bugs. Like crazy grateful- tears of joy grateful. I don't know what we did to deserve such amazing friends and family in our life or if we just got lucky but THANK YOU. (And sorry I'm late on the actual thank you cards, but I swear they are coming.)

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Helping Miranda blow out the candle on her big chocolate/dulce de leche cake

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
James blows out candle on his Curious George "ganilla" cake (vanilla)

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Super awesome Ash cutting up the cake.

Some special thank yous to Nana (my mom) who brought Miranda's cake and all the Cuban appetizers, Grandma (Kevin's mom) who brought the Curious George cake all the way from the Cape, and Ash who came a day early and did all the decorating basically on her own.

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015 
La Familia Cubana y Irlandes

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Uncle David, Great-granda Daisy, me, Miranda

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Hudson, Christina, and Tim

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Rachel, Miranda, Eleanor mom, Tania

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Dan, Eleanor, and Aria

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Mom with besties Tania and Onel

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Christina, Aria, Miranda, Bob

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Jon, Nick, and Emily- totally candid.

IMG_6376
James and Miranda opening presents.

I asked James if he liked his party and why. He said, "Yeah, and I like Happy Halloween, and Christmas. They are so fun." 

But what about your party? "I liked the cake." 

What do you think Miranda liked about the party? "I think Miranda liked everything about the party."

Monday, April 27, 2015

Miranda's Month Photos 2015

Oh, how my little baby girl has grown! I miss it all already! Here are her month photos.


Our 5th Anniversary 2014
Not her actual 2 month photo but I like this one much better

Miri is 3 Months 2014
3 months, and showing a little leg!

Miranda is 4 Months 2014
4 Months, the month she meowed a lot.

Nana Visits- Sept. 2014
5 Months, with her Nana

Miri is 6 Months 2014
6 Months, sitting on her own

November 2014
7 Months, cuteness explosion!

Miri is 8 Months 2014
8 Months, enjoying Christmas, pre-crawling and scooting

Miri is 9 Months 2015
9 Months, speed crawling and sleeping through the night!

Miranda is 10 Months 2015
10 Months, just a few days from walking on her own...

Miri is 11 Months 2015
11 Months, walking and running everywhere

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
12 Months, running at her party (again, cuter than the sticker picture)

Okay, so despite all my promises when James was born that I would try to do the same stuff for them, I did not get a photo of Miranda every single day. This was not because Miranda was less adored though, it was because it wasn't much fun the first time I did it with James. But I took photos almost every day, since unlike with James, I always had a camera phone handy. I took approximately 2,400 of Miranda her first year, so does it really matter that they weren't all on consecutive days? No.


April 2015
Almost 365 days... I couldn't get them all in one screen shot.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Miranda is a Year Old! 2015

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
The perfect little Miss Miranda

I'm kind of sad my baby is already a year old. She is the most beautiful, smart, sweet little baby we could ever have hoped for. We love her little raspy laugh, seeing her dance, hearing her say tickle-tickle-tickle, and have her give us "kisses" by smacking her tongue against her lips. Miranda, your dada and I are so in love with you that it's a little ridiculous!

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
She's in charge of the sticker this month.

Growth- Miranda had her 1-year doctor's appointment yesterday! Her measurements were 31.5 inches tall, and 22 pounds and 8 ounces. She's wearing 12 months pants (or he would if we had any) and 12-18 month and 18 month shirts.  She has 4 adorable teeth that she chews and smiles with.

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Cute smile!

Eating- She just came off formula (hurray!) and she can, and does, to eat everything. She loves meat and sweet things, especially.  She feeds herself finger foods and has co-opted her brothers sippy cups for extra water and milk.

April 2015
Her passion for food mirrors mine.

Sleep- If James doesn't disturb her, Miranda sleeps through the night from 8:00 p.m to 8:00 a.m. (2 more hours than her brother used to sleep at night at this age). She takes two naps a day in her crib, by herself, one 45 minute nap, and one 45-120 minute nap, depending on how much she slept the night before. 

March 2015
Can you handle the cuteness? I cannot. 

Moving- She's been walking since 10 months, and within a few days she was running and carrying heavy toys with her. She had a little trouble at the park at first because she was still too little to do anything besides eat the wood chips, but she's gotten a little more comfortable with the concept and will run around for a little while before sitting down with Dada to enjoy the sights.

Charlottesville, VA 2015
Running at the park

Easter Weekend 2015 
Enjoying the swing (sort of)

Language/ Social- She says, "dada," "mama" (though I rarely hear this one lately), "tickle-tickle-tickle," and "go!" She makes kissy noises to communicate love or playfulness, claps and dances when she likes a song, and points to people she knows because she thinks it's funny. She shakes her head no and yes, and when she does the latter she looks like Barbara Eden in a "I Dream of Jeannie." She scribbles on a little etch-a-sketch, and sometimes she steals the milk bottle to "paint" the coffee table.

April 2015
Chilling with her etch-a-sketch masterpiece

She understands some things. She gets a book at night time when we ask her to. She understands, "no," but chooses to ignore us. Except for this stubborn streak and her HATRED of driving places, she's a pretty easy baby on the whole.

April 2015
Sweet and innocent...

I would describe her personality as "purposefully mischievous." She thinks it's funny to do little mean things. This aligns pretty well with her father's sense of humor, though his is more witty, and hers is, so far, more slapstick.
March 2015
Example: Pulling her sleeping brother's ear.

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Fairy on the move! Watch out!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

James's 4th Birthday Interview and Quotes

Since James's three-and-a-half-birthday, he's developed a lot. He writes a lot more words and he reads a little - not just memorization of his books but actual sight-reading. He negotiates, whines, cajoles, and plays me and Kevin off each other. He either turned 4 years old or 14 years old on Monday. I'm not sure which. He had his 4 year appointment today and he's 36 pounds and 40.5 inches tall, and is otherwise completely healthy. We feel very lucky.

James Nursery School 2014
Autumn joy

Interview, 4/20/15
1. What's your name? James.
2. What's my name? Ma... uh.. Ericka.
    What's his name? Dada.
3. How old are you? Four.
4. How old do you think I am? Thirty-three? Thirty-five? (I am 36.)
5. How old is Dada? Forty-four. (He is 35.)

James Nursery School 2014
Holding worms at nature nursery school

6. What is your favorite animal? My favorite animals are all the animals. I like the animals in The Littlest Pet Shop. (TV Show)
7. What is your favorite color? The colors of the pet shop.
    Can you pick just one color? Blue, because that's a panda in The Littlest Pet Shop.
8. What is your favorite food? Apple.
    What's your favorite breakfast? My favorite breakfast is eggs.
    What's your favorite lunch? My favorite lunch is peanut butter and jelly.
    What's your favorite dinner? Peas and eggs. (Quiche?)
9. What is your favorite book? I don't know. My favorite is Goodnight Moon.
10. What is your favorite song? Twinkle Twinkle, and Itsy Bitsy.

 Interrupts... Can we please not talk this? Where's Grandma's iPad?

October 2014
Building a Duplo castle

11. What is your favorite toy? My favorite toy is a coloring book.
12. Do you sleep with any toys at night? Just Fudgie.
13. What is your favorite show? All of them. The Littlest Pet Shop is my favorite.
14. Which is your favorite movie?  The Frozen movie, and the Lego movie.

Snow Storm Juno 2015
Eating snow

15. What do you want for your birthday? Cake. A ballon.
16. Are you funny? Yep.
17. Who is your best friend? Everybody.
      Well who do you like playing with the most? Grandma.

Grandma Visits- Feb 2015
Giving Grandma a checkup

18. Do you like school? Yep.
19. Who are your teachers? Miss Andrea and Miss Sue.

February 2015
Strange and troubling things he writes on his own. Warning!

20. Do you love me? Yeah.
     What does it mean that you love me? That you're pretty.
     Do you love Dada? Yeah.
     What does it mean that you love Dada? He thinks he's pretty.

February 2015
Definitely loves his sister.

21. Do you want to get married one day? Yeah.
     What kind of person do you want to marry? All the girls in the town.
22. What do you want to want to be when you grow up? A teacher.

March 2015
Wrote "Good Mama, Good James, Good Miranda, Good Dada" on his own.

Quotes from the last six months
11/18/14:
K: Go use the potty, James.
J: I don't pee or poop anymore.
K: That's untenable.

Washington, DC 2015

Full of personality!

1/13/15:
J: Is it tomorrow?
K: The answer to that question is always no.
E: Tomorrow isn't like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Tomorrow is always the day after today.
J: What? That's a crazy story, Mama.

Charlottesville, VA 2015 
Selfie at Dada's reading

1/16/15:
Me: I have to squish you (hugs James)
J: Sorry I have to do my work.
Me: What's your work?
J: Lifting things.
Me: Well this is my work, I have to squish you.
J: (laughing) Sorry, gotta go work.

Charlottesville, VA 2015
Too cool for words

1/26/15:
J: Dada, can I have balloons for my birthday?
K: Balloons for your birthday? Sure. How many do you want?
J: Mm, a "meeyon."
K: A million! No, how about another number?
J: Two?
K: Sure. How about four since you'll be four on your next birthday?

April 2015
Drew a seriously awesome Pacman game

2/23/15:
J: Ericka...
E: Why are you calling me Ericka?
J: Because that's your name.
E: But I'm your mama.
J: That's your middle name, Ericka.

April 2015
Sharing the chair

3/29/15:
J: "I only speak Spanish." (in English)

1st and 4th Birthday Party 2015
Super cool
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...