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The "Touch Tank"

Grace was able to touch a starfish and a sea urchin in the "Touch Tank" at the Children's Museum today. This was very exciting for Grace and I'm sure she will be talking about this experience for weeks to come!

African Drumming!

We went to the Children's Museum this afternoon for a very special African drumming performance. We were very proud that Grace was able to locate many African countries on the map before the performance began.

The African drumming performance was wonderful! In addition to listening to drumming, Grace learned about a variety of African percussion instruments. Grace didn't move a muscle as the performer was explaining each instrument in detail. Jack also enjoyed the African drumming performance. As you can see he was soothed by the strong rhythms of the drums and being in the sling next to his Daddy! Jack, Grace, and I are all so happy that Daddy is home. He was away this week in Tennessee and Michigan on a business trip.

Fun At The Children's Museum

While Maddy and Uncle Adam were here this week Gracie girl took them on a tour of one of her favorite places ~ the Children's Museum. This was Uncle Adam's first time at the museum and Baby Jack's first visit there too! Grace was a great tour guide. One of Grace's favorite places at the museum is the veterinarian room. Uncle Adam helped Dr. Grace Leger put on her veterinarian coat so that she could get to work taking care of all of the animals.Grace and Maddy worked together to take care of one of the dogs. They used a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff to make sure the dog was in tip top shape!

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...0...BLAST OFF!

Maddy and Grace visited the planets in outer space.
Sweet Baby Jack enjoyed the museum tucked away next to me in his sling. I was so excited for Grace to show Jack all of the wonderful exhibits and events that the museum has to offer.
Gracie girl has the whole world in her hands!

Goodbye Maddy & Uncle Adam

Maddy and Uncle Adam left for Vermont this morning. Thank you for a truly wonderful visit that was full of so many laughs! Grace, Jack, and I loved every minute of your visit and we will never forget the memories we shared ~ the Children's Museum, lunch at Whole Foods, our tea party, cooking together, dancing with the play silks after dinner, reading books together, measuring snow, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, going to New York City, bath time, lotions & soaps, singing, trying to open the coconut without a hammer (!) and all the many hugs & kisses.

Our Snowy Day Tea Party

Jack At His First Tea!

Getting Ready For Our Afternoon Tea Party

Due to the weather conditions we knew that we would have an indoor day so we decided to go all out and have an afternoon tea party! Grace, Maddy, and Uncle Adam made peanut butter kisses, apple crumble, and chamomile tea. We brought out the fancy china tea set and set the table with pink cloth napkins, silver, and a flower for our centerpiece. We had honey and milk for the tea. Maddy, Uncle Adam, Grace, Jack, Ella, a few of Grace's doll friends, and I enjoyed our party while we held our tea cups with our pinkie fingers out while we had interesting conversations!

Snow Measuring

When we woke up this morning we checked the weather and discovered that we would be having a day of heavy snow. I decided that it would be fun for Maddy, Uncle Adam, Grace, Jack, and I to estimate what we thought would be the total snow fall shortly before Grace's dinner time at four o'clock. I taped a long piece of paper up on our door and brought out the yard stick and had each of us make our guess based upon the predicted twenty inches of snow. We drew a line at the place that we each thought would be the total amount of snow at four o'clock. Our estimates ranged from Jack at 6 3/4 inches to Grace at 19 inches.

At four o'clock Uncle Adam and Grace stepped out onto our deck to measure the total amount of snowfall. It was totally AMAZING that Baby Jack estimated exactly the correct amount!!! Jack is truly an incredible baby. :)

After a few nice sunny days last week Grace began talking and thinking about Spring. Grace is now convinced that Spring won't come for quite awhile after today's snow storm but her picture is a sweet reminder of what is to come.

A Bedtime Story

Goodnight

Maddy and Uncle Adam are here! They arrived on Monday afternoon and we have been enjoying every moment together. Grace enjoyed reading "Put Me In The Zoo," a new book from Uncle Adam, with Maddy before bedtime. Grace loved her big goodnight hug from Uncle Adam before her sweet dreams!

Patiently Waiting For Maddy & Uncle Adam To Arrive!

Making Footprints

Grace & Jack Build A Fort!

We built a fort in our living room this morning! We took two of our dining room table chairs and covered them with a blanket. We also gathered several other blankets and pillows to put under the fort to make it even more cozy. Grace, Jack, and I spent the entire morning playing under our fort together. We read lots of great books, played hide and seek, and flashlight play. Grace took a "nap" (pretend play) under the fort with Ella and all of her doll friends. Later, Jack took his nap under the fort too! This was so much fun for us and it is something that we will definitely do again.

Bath Time!

Gracie girl gave her baby doll, Emily, a bath today in Jack's tub. Grace used her,"Cherry berry boo berry shampoo," (as Grace calls it) on Emily's hair. Emily has never been so clean as her bath time lasted nearly an hour! Grace followed up Emily's bath with massage and lotion time. Grace then dressed Emily in a dress and put several hair clips in her hair. When Grace was finished she looked at Emily and said, "You are gorgeous!"

Here is Jack's favorite time of the day -- bath time. Jack loves the warm water and he enjoys kicking his feet to splash. We think Jack could stay in the tub for hours! I'm sure Jack wishes that Gracie girl could give him long baths like she did with Emily this morning!

A Day Of Celebration!

This morning when Grace woke up she said, "President Barack Obama is coming to our house today" as she waved good morning to his picture displayed on our computer screen. I explained to Grace that President Obama was in Washington D.C. today and that he had a lot of work to do! Grace then asked, "Maybe President Barack Obama will come tomorrow?" We are so excited that Grace and Jack will grow up in a country where progress is the basis of decisions we will make tomorrow and not history. In order to honor this historic day Grace made an American flag for President Obama. Grace ripped small pieces of red and blue construction paper and sorted them into bowls.

Grace glued the pieces of construction paper onto a white paper to make her American flag. Grace later added sticker stars.

When Grace was finished with her flag she wrote the letter "O" for Obama and enthusiastically said, "President Barack Obama will LOVE this!"

Feeling & Seeing

Jack loves the feel of his satin blanket. He especially enjoys kicking his feet to move his body forward along the slippery surface. This morning Jack had fun on his blanket while looking at a book called Black & White by Tana Hoban. This is a perfect book for babies that opens accordion style and encourages early visual activity & object recognition.

"Progress Is Beautiful"

Five Weeks Old

Our sweet Jack is five weeks old today! Here he is getting a quick kiss from Mommy just prior to his bath.

Our Snowy Day

We received over a foot of snow today and it continues to snow heavily outside. Daddy took Grace for a sled ride this afternoon while Jack & I watched the snowflakes fall from the warmth of our house. Prior to going on her sled ride Grace chose the perfect book to read called The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. In this book a little boy named Peter finds a stick and uses it to make a track in the snow. Grace followed Peter's lead today and made her own stick track in the snow too!