Hockey Rink Update

Well, the hockey rink project is being held up a bit by a technical glich. Drew says that it's leaking out of one of the sides because the ground is too uneven. He decided he needed to put a tarp down to catch the water inside the boards. All this snow and cold weather has made for excellent hockey rink-building conditions though! Here they are working on it (and taking a little ride on the sled in the yard):

Finn Turns 2!

Finn turned 2 on December 7th. He had a very fun birthday at home with mom and Mitch and then we had a little party for him the following weekend. He is going to be one spoiled little 2-year-old by the time December is over! Here are some pics:

Trying out his new hockey stick

Finn in his homemade birthday hat (I forgot to buy them - and auntie stepped up to make one!).

Annie and Mitch snuggling

Trying out his new football outfit from the Gilbrides

Finn's "hockey guy" cake

Uncle Dooda putting together the new airport toy

Mitch and Mitch

Finn had lots of help opening his presents!

Drew leading a rousing game of "dump the kids out of the basket" - a new party game.

Everyone got to make their own pizzas at the birthday party - Finn loved it!

Thanksgiving Pictures (A Little Late)

The kids table!

The Heffron boys busy before dinner

Mitch loves his Aunt Megan!

Holiday Preparations

Finn's still gaining new vocabulary by the day, and many times he is just a little off on his pronunciation, or he gives words and phrases his own little twist. My new favorite: upside down is "west side down". For example, our neighbor has a boat that he keeps in his backyard, propped upside down. Finn saw it one day when he and Drew were playing outside, and came running in to tell me about it. "Mr. Bais' boat west side down! Has a bigpeller (propeller)!"

We have been very busy little elves, preparing for Christmas. Here's Finn making some cinnamon dough ornaments and decorating with his cousins:

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Here are the boys at the Christmas tree farm picking out the perfect tree:

Finn helping with decorating the tree:

A Hockey Rink Right In Our Own Backyard (Literally)

Drew and Finn have been hard at work constructing our very own hockey rink in the backyard. The first phase of the project is underway: roping off the rink and painting the boards. Finn is loving every minute of this, as you can imagine. Here they are working on it (also some other pics of Finn helping Drew in the yard and getting ready for his first time on his new hockey skates (video to come):

Painting the boards

Finn's Latest and Greatest

Finn has come out with some really great one-liners lately, so I wanted to document a few. My favorite: The AT&T guy came to fix our internet the other day. Finn was at the table eating his lunch and the guy had gone into the basement to look at the lines down there. Finn said, "Mommy, where that guy go? I want to bother him." I was dying. During this same lunch, he dumped out an entire container of yogurt onto his tray. When I asked what he was doing he said, "I making a sandcastle." Should have known. The other night, he pooped in his bathtub. When he noticed it floating around in the water, he freaked out. He was running around the tub trying to avoid the poo, screaming "WAIT A MINUTE! WAIT A MINUTE!" I was laughing so hard I could barely compose myself to pick the poo out of the tub and reassure him that it wouldn't hurt him. :)

Here are a bunch of older pictures that I forgot to put on the computer. Oops! I think my favorites are from when the Emmas, McCanns, Frolos, and Webers stopped for a visit in October. It was so fun to see all of the kids together!

Apple picking with the Gilbrides

Finn and Uncle Jersey having some brewskies

Drew's parenting technique

Finn giving Ronan the ride of his life

Ronan, Finn, and Charlie sharing the bus

Ronan and Kevin give Finn a ride

Love this one...Mitch, Finn, Sloan, Jane, and Charlie

On a hike in the Metroparks