Massachusetts...It's like living in Florida

or maybe southern New Jersey....

Last weekend we got almost two feet of snow.  Today, it was a balmy 60 degrees!  So we did what all New Englanders do when the sun peeks out to warm our cold bones.  We headed to the beach!  Sam wanted to pack a picnic and bring his bathing suit, but we're not that crazy or sun starved.  Yet.

I WISH she was looking at the camera for this one.  She won't.  Ever.

Sam and Grace got capes for Christmas.  I had visions of them running with their brightly colored capes trailing behind them...Unfortunately, there were 30 mph winds, which made the beach feel like it was about 30 degrees and also caused the capes to blow over their faces and wrap around their necks.  Oh well....

They did run though.....

Merry Christmas

There was no Twinkle Family Christmas card this year, but if there had been, it may have looked something like this...

Sugar Cookies

Play dates at my house usually involve a whole lot of running around and destroying things and not many scheduled or planned activities.  Most of the play dates we go to are much the same.  However, I do have a friend or two who organize wonderful, organized and thoughtful gatherings for our children.  For example, a cookie making party for the under 3 crowd....

Complete with gobs of icing...

Hersheys Kisses

and M&M's.

Lot's of M&M's.

And pre lunch cocktails for the mommies....

Keepin' My Eyes on This One....

Checking her out...

Buttering her up....

Going in for the kill....

Looking very pleased with himself....

First snow

Grace saw her fair share of snow last year, but judging by her absolute delight with yesterday's snow, I think it's safe to say, she has no recollection of it.

Getting outside to play in it was even better than looking at it from the window.  She's pretty much telling me here to put the darn camera away and let her play.  "No pictures mommy!"

When you don't finish raking, you get very dirty looking snow men....

Batteries and Pee

Grace is napping less frequently.  The fact that she can get out of her bed and play, or shake her door, is apparently much more enjoyable than sleeping.  I'm no longer able to just read her a story and then tuck her in and walk away.  Instead, we read three stories, I beg, I promise treats, we pray....sometimes it works.

The other day as I held her, she began to rub my breast and look at me longingly.  "Have some milk mommy?  Pwease?"

"Oh, sweetie.  Mommies milk doesn't work anymore."

To which she replied, "Get new batteries?"

Oh Grace, batteries don't fix everything!

I put her in bed and went to my room.  A few minutes later, I heard a door open.  Shoot, she figured out how to open her door!  Then I heard, "Oh hi Sam!"

I ran from my room and grabbed a groggy Sam by the arm.  "What the heck do you think you're doing?"  He said nothing.  He completely ignored me, walked into the hallway, turned and faced the wall and then pulled down his pants and peed in a basket of clean laundry.

Apparently, my son can make messes even when he's asleep.