First Day of Preschool

I know I am jumping all over the place with these blog posts (especially because I still have tons of pictures from the summer to upload), but I had to post a few pictures from Chase's first day of preschool.

He started at Bo Peep Preschool two weeks ago - we are lucky that the preschool is right down the street from our house and our sitter can bring him there every Tuesday and Thursday. Chase loves his school because some of his best buddies from the neighborhood and our playgroup are in his class.

Before his first day of school, I took Chase out to breakfast with one of his best friends, Braeden. The boys were so cute in the backseat, talking about school and all of their favorite things.

When we arrived at school, Sinead (another one of Chase's buddies) was getting out of the car. The kids were so excited to see each other. Here is a picture of Sinead, Chase, and Braeden walking hand in hand to school.

And one last picture of Chase after he got his name tag. Can you tell that this kid is excited for his first day?!?

Old Orchard Beach

This summer we packed up 2 cars and headed to Old Orchard Beach in Maine for a week. I am reluctant to call it a "family trip" because Ryan and Teddy were unable to join us. But we had an amazing time with Nani, G, and Aunt Jackie! The boys loved the beach, and the memories we created were special and unforgettable.

We had a beautiful house right near the beach that was absolutely perfect for us!!! There was an amusement park several blocks from the house, and the rides at the park were definitely a highlight for Chase! But the best part of the trip was being 15 miles from Cape Elizabeth where my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and grandmother live. The boys were so happy to spend time with everyone, especially their Great Grandma B!

Here are a few pictures of the beach from our trip...more family pictures with GGB to come!!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July!

Today we took the kids to the 4th of July parade in Manlius where we met the Mullins and the Kelly crew . Meg found a perfect spot in the shade, so we lined up the chairs and waited for the festivities to begin.

I love this picture of the 3 "big" kids with Quinn in the background (just lounging with his leg up in the air). Too precious!

Nani came to the parade with us, and she spent most of her time with Tyler. Thank goodness she was there!!! Here is a rare moment of Tyler sitting down (he spent most of the parade running around and collecting candy...like this kid needs any more sugar to boost his energy).

The kids collected (and ate) TONS of candy...they were all VERY happy!

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Father's Day at the Lake

We spent Father's Day at the lake with the whole family. It was great having everyone together (although Jackie was very missed)....the weather was absolutely perfect!

The "bigger" guys golfed during the day while the little guys enjoyed camp and played in the water.

Chase seemed to prefer the pool, but Tyler ventured in the lake and had a blast!

Even after an exhausting day of swimming and running around camp, there was still NO keeping Tyler in one place....

Perhaps the funniest moment of the day was when Chase announced that he had to pee and then ran right to the nearest tree, pulled down his pants, and got right to business.

I wish I could blame it on Ryan, but unfortunately, this one is all my fault. My dislike for using public restrooms combined with my laziness for taking wet bathing suits off before going inside has created a very bad habit for Chase. Opps!

At one point in the day, Tyler was completely covered in sand and dirt. I think this picture was taken after he "rinsed" off a bit in the water.

And here's a family shot from dinner...we moved the table and chairs down from the deck and ate right by the water. It was wonderful!!!

Tyler didn't quite make it in the picture because he was seated on the ground in his little booster seat.

Happy Father's Day to all of the incredible dads out there. And cheers to the three fathers in my life who I love more than words can say. My dad, of course, who has given me so much love, support, and guidance over the years. My incredible father-in-law who loves me like his own. And my amazing husband who is an outstanding father and the best partner to have on this incredible journey of parenthood. Cheers to you....Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day

We spent the day at the lake on Father's Day, and the boys had a blast! The weather was perfect all day long, and the whole family was together. Life is good....

I will post more pictures from Father's Day later this week....just too tired now to upload them all. Happy Father's Day to all those hard-working, loving dads out there!

Up, Up, and Away

Bungee jumping kids style...

Happy Memorial Day

It was a picture perfect day in Syracuse, so we headed to the lake for a Memorial Day BBQ.

The kids were all smiles! They had so much fun running around, swimming, playing in the sand, and going on multiple boat rides.

I love this picture of Chase - laughing hysterically with Grandma!

Searching for buried treasure in the pirate ship....

The Dera's homemade water slide....perfect! The boys had a blast sliding into the pool.

Tyler was very patient while we tried to get his life jacket on....time for a boat ride.

First, they went on the little boat, and Chase "tried" to use the oars.

Luckily, dad was there to pull them along....

The lake was so calm...it was the perfect day to take a ride on the big boat.

Tyler LOVED every minute of the boat ride. He sat in the front, saying "wheeeeeee" and clapping his hands.

Chase wasn't so enthusiastic about the boat ride. Luckily, grandma was there to give him lots of love and snuggles!

We hope your Memorial Day was full of laughter and fun!

Thanks to Grandma and Grampa Ed for a beautiful day at the lake. We had such a great time and can't wait to come back and do it all over again.

Happy Memorial Day!