For Restaurant Week last week, Kori, Tony, Ben and I went to a seafood place down in SoHo while Kami watched all the kids. We think that everyone had a good time, but Kami was the hero of the day.


Reading stories on Aaron's bed (notice Elliot's haircut-- it was sort of an accident. I got frustrated with his first haircut because he had a straight line going across his forehead and instead of trying to figure out how to fix it and test everyone's patience, I just buzzed it. I was really sad about it at first but I'm actually starting to get used to it.)

Elliot decided the floor needed sweeping so he took matters into his own hands

And here's Aaron reacting to the fact that I had the camera in front of Elliot for so long, trying to get a good shot of him with the broom and dustpan.

Then Aaron tried a new strategy: get the mop and work together with Elliot.

This is the pile of hair that accumulated after I cut all three boys' hair. The colors are all morphing into one. I remember after Aaron's first haircut, the pile of his hair and Ben's was so funny because his was tiny sprigs of white hair mixed in with Ben's. Now there is hardly any blonde at all.

Faces

Elliot really likes chewing on markers lately. We don't let him do it when we notice it but he sure loves nabbing every opportunity he can to do it

Aaron showing off after eating some chocolate

One of Aaron's compositions. He stood in front of me with the camera saying, "Show me an angry face. Angrier! Angrier! Even angrier!" This is the face he finally decided was angry-looking enough, and took the picture.

Aaron has been getting excited about writing lately. He started making "books" where he'll staple together a bunch of blank pages, draw pictures on them, then ask us how to write specific words (usually words like "helicopter" and "toolbox"), which he writes on the pages.


Here is a "toolbox" page (which, I'm ashamed to say, I helped him write the 'x' because he did it weird and then he got mad and crumpled up the page. I vowed to not deface his books anymore with my disgraceful correct letters.)

Tato saying goodbye to the boys, before going off to an interview (with his new jacket on-- doesn't it look sharp? ;) )

On Friday morning last week, we got a phone call from our friend Cameron. Aaron answered the phone and heard, "I want to go to the aquarium. Wanna come?" Aaron couldn't quite figure out what was going on, but eventually we got the message across and he was on board to go. After an hour and a half drive in traffic down to the water edge in Brooklyn, we got to the NY Aquarium. The aquarium was small and empty but very fun. (Actually, Cameron's excitement level was probably the highest of all involved.) Our favorite part, though, was the daddy walrus. He snuggled up right next to the window so we could "pet" him, then did all kinds of tricks like turning around and snorting to make bubbles. It was quite entertaining.

Back at home! We loved being in Midway, but we were so grateful to be back in the city. We were beyond ourselves with giddyness when we went to the drug store, the grocery store, picked up Ben's new glasses, got dinner and brought it home all in less than a half an hour. Home again home again jiggidy jig! (In Midway it takes a half an hour to just go to the grocery store and back.)


Our back-in-the-hood inaugaration dinner: giant $2.50 slice of pizza. Aaron is getting pretty good and managing the size of it.

Elliot is not quite accustomed as of yet

A stray Christmas present from Aaron to us (made in his Pre-K class)

This is what was inside the wrapping

This is the last of the pictures from our vacation at the Lambert home in Midway. More fun in the snow.

We're a little unsure as to the purpose of the shovel but Aaron insisted on having it

So the conditions weren't really ideal for sled-pulling that day, but we tried anyway.

Ben and Aaron enjoying the view in the backyard

Aaron and Elliot spent some time with grandpa trying out his french horn. I like taking pictures of my kids doing a variety of things when they're little because chances are that they will be interested in at least one thing that I photographed them doing and then we can say, "Look, you loved __________ ever since you were one year old!"

""See Elliot, you've been playing the french horn since you were one year old!"

Ice Skating in Midway

My parents have an ice skating place down the street from their house in Midway, so I had this great idea that we should go try it out. I took an ice skating class in college and got fairly stable so I figured, hey, why not? We might as well try. I tried to rally as many Lambert bodies as I could with an announcement of, "The Peters family is going ice skating tomorrow at 2:00 and we'll get a ticket for anybody who wants to go with us" and dad (who also doesn't really know how to skate) was the only volunteer. So basically we had three adults, none of which really knew how to skate (it turned out that while I hadn't forgotten all that I'd learned in college, I was so afraid of falling and slamming my recovering knees that I was just as rocky as a beginner), and two small children. Elliot had just started a week before this trip so I figured putting skates on him wouldn't be that big of a shock since he didn't really know what steady felt like. In the end, it turned out to be a short, but fun, trip. Aaron started getting the hang of it a little bit, and we were all glad we tried it.


Here's Elliot on the way to the rink

Gearing up

Elliot liked skating between our legs, but he also didn't mind just scooting around on the ice in his own way

A whole lot of times

When Aaron plays quantity games with us or his friends, each trying to out-count the other, Aaron busts out with "uncountable infinity times!"

Binky Instruction

Elliot plays a new game in the mornings (when snuggling up in our bed with all of us, with his binky still in his mouth from the night time)--he takes his binky out and offers it to me by putting it up close to my mouth. I usually pretend to suck on it with it up to my lips but not in my mouth, but then he puts it back in his mouth, sucks it slowly and deliberately a few times while looking at me very seriously then puts it back towards my mouth for another try.

One morning, I decided to go for a short jog. As I was about to walk out the door, Kami decided to go with me. After she got ready, we started going out the door when Aaron decided he wanted to come. After getting him dressed and ready, Kelcie and Ben both decided to come as well. So we all set off out the door.

Aaron was so excited to be able to go exercise with his mom

"Watch how fast I can run. I'm the fastest of everyone!"

All tired out

Back on the move. Notice how far away the truck is when Aaron warns us to watch out. Such a cautious child.

Sledding in Midway


Kendra and Tucker

Kerrylin trying to help Aaron go down on the fresh snow on his little tiny sled, with little success (but you can see what a beautiful place we found!)

Gabe and Chris getting ready to go down

Right before a great ride down

Playing at Grandma and Grandpa Lambert's


On the new train

Pizza Party

Baby Eve joins in

Gabe and Aaron cooking with Aunt Bonis (while chomping on seaweed)

Elliot's cheesy food-filled smile, wielding a giant spoon (which he loves to try to use)

Indeed