Day Out With Thomas

What a great Memorial Day weekend we had! One of the highlights was definitely the Day Out With Thomas the Train! We headed to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad with the Heffrons and had the most fun time! Finn loved every minute and still can’t stop talking about it. We will definitely be going back for another train ride and to hike/bike the trail out there – it was beautiful! We’ll bring Drew and Mitch next time too! J

The boys watching the model trains

Waiting to get on board!

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Mitch's First Birthday Party

It's hard to believe that a year ago, I was sitting here waiting and waiting for a baby to get here! And how lucky I have been to get to know my sweet little Mitchie this past year. He is truly a ray of sunshine. He is such a bright and happy guy and is one of the toughest and roughest babies I've ever seen (maybe weighing almost 10 pounds at birth gives you a certain confidence from the get-go!). He's not afraid to try anything (for better or worse - lots of falls happening lately!) and I know that his bold spirit will lead him to great things. He loves his "dada" more than anyone and there is nothing that makes my heart happier than to hear Mitch's squeals of delight as Drew plays with the boys upstairs or gives them their bath. He is a champion thumb-sucker and I think this will be a hard habit for this guy to break someday. But for now, it's about the cutest thing in the world when he crawls over to me, puts that thumb in his mouth, and lays his little head down on my lap. I love that he is starting to get his own little voice and opinion about things. He does not like to be left behind and will let you know it (particularly when Drew and Finn sneak outside without him). He is a really smart little guy too, watching and learning and imitating all the time. I just can't picture what our family would be like without our Mitch. Happy Birthday Babes (as Finn calls him)! We love you! :)

Mitch's truck cake (a labor of love by Erin Gilbride and Claire Heffron :)

Big shot birthday boy on his hog

Waiting for his birthday pizza

Mitch had lots of help with opening his gifts (thank goodness, because I think he was more interested in the sticks and grass than the presents)

Mitch checking out his truck cake (which is starting to look a bit mushy by this time)...

My favorite picture of the day! A very happy birthday boy! :)

Spring 2011

Both of the boys seem to be in a big growth spurt right now. Mitch is going to be one the day after tomorrow and is just learning and growing so much all at once! He’s getting two new teeth (one more on the bottom to make three and one on top – the first top tooth). He’s going to look so funny when they’re finally all in! He is starting to understand that animals make noises and tries to imitate them (particularly dogs barking when we’re on walks). When he sees a picture of an animal in a book, he makes barking or growling noises. My favorite is when he roars like a lion. He waves hello and goodbye and just today started blowing kisses. Tonight at his birthday party, he also started leaning in to kiss people goodbye. My favorite trick lately (I may have written about this already, but it’s so funny) is when he hits us in the face just to see what our reaction will be and when you tell him “No Mitch, be gentle,” he does a very dramatic fake crying routine that could win him an Oscar. Sometimes he even gets real tears going, but I know he’s faking because in the middle of his little fit, he stops abruptly to hit us again. It’s all I can do to keep a straight face while I try to “reprimand” him. J

Finn is growing out of his clothes so quickly that I can't keep up with him! I just bought him a whole round of spring t shirts that he has already outgrown! At least they'll be good for Mitch in just a few months! He has had some good one liners lately too. He says “goodness” and “horrible a lot – as I'm writing this, he is in his bed trying to fall asleep. He is doing fake sneezing and then saying “Oh! Goodness!” just like I do when he sneezes. He often tells me about his skinned knee, calling it a “horrible boo boo”. He also uses "actually" and "somestimes" quite a bit. Example: at breakfast the other day: "Mom! Somestimes oyoma (oatmeal) is hot and somestimes coffee is hot!" It was quite the revelation. He has a bug toy that he calls his “spantula” (tarantula). When he rides his motorcycle toy that we borrow from the library, he does a great song and dance routine when he finds a good "parking spot" in the kitchen. He’s been getting a lot better with his manners (not always, but he’s trying!). His favorite new phrase is “excuse me” because he has learned that if he says it, then he’s allowed to interrupt any conversation he wants. The other day I took him and Mitch to Dariview to get ice cream after dinner and when he tasted it, he looked up at the lady in the window and said, “this is the best ice cream ever!”

Here are some new spring pics:

A visit from Annie and Mallie - Finn not in the mood for pictures

Finn playing on the deck by himself with his "animal families" (plastic animals of different sizes that we make into "mommies, daddies and babies". For some reason, this has been a favorite activity for months now.

I think this picture best sums up my current experience as a mom...lots of help in the kitchen! :)

Grandma's Birthday!

Okay, so I'm going to be a little out of order with my pictures here, but I forgot about some pictures on my camera from Grandma Heffron's birthday party! Here they are: