Lucky two (soon to be three) times over.

We were lucky enough to get to stay with the Ainsworths in Connecticut on both our way in and out of New York. And not only that but we surprised them by bringing the other Mattys. Nice aren't we? And they're still letting us come back this weekend:)

We had a blissful summer time there, eating desert on the back porch, jumping off the dock, taking walks, eating Suzanne's amazing cooking. Yum. We are so grateful and lucky!


Oh, and by the way, this is what you shouldn't do: Give a 2-year-old access to markers on a long drive.

The Matty's take Manhattan (or Brooklyn to be precise)

We had a great time on our quick trip to NY. Raph helped Gabe build a bike out of bamboo at the Bamboo Bike Studio while Laura and Ann and I managed the kids through NY. I got to meet up with my good friend Evan and her boys too which equaled a lot of boys 4 and under. They got along quite well though. It was really nice to see them. Makili LOVED the subway. I loved the fountain we ran through after the children's museum and the roti we got nearby at Glorias. There was ice cream in Chinatown and you know, a mellow and not-so-mellow NY trip. The best part: off of work!

Nothing so soft

There is nothing so soft as a newborn's head. And nothing more special that being able to see them so tiny before they were who they are. Our newest friend Daniel was born July 3, and I was so lucky to meet him last week. Good thing I got those tubes tied or I would be vacillating. I offered Amy to take him off their hands...

Cousinly Love

We've had a terrific week with the cousins and more pictures than you can imagine. Here a few I can squeeze the time in to post:) Makili and Gabrielle are so cute together. They get along SO well. They're are into being competitive (I can eat faster, run faster, sing louder, etc. than you) but actually they don't really care. But they think eachother's jokes are hilarious and that is pretty funny.
Oliviann and Remick largely ignore each other's existence when antagonizing the other one, as Remick was doing below by trying to get Oliviann to hug him non-stop.

Such unbelievable cuties...

A good chance meeting at the beach

We had a really nice chance meeting with the Fullertons at the beach the other day. Makili and Lucy had a swell time running around in the water together and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Amy is actually due today so we're anxiously awaiting the big news. So exciting. Summer time is here.

Not exactly how I saw things going down...

Makili turned 4 last Friday and he tells everyone he tells he see that he's 4. I was really pumped about it and when they were at Ann and Larry's last Thursday night, I decorated a little bit, and made and cooked cupcakes for nine hours until they were charcoal bricks and then Becky helped me make more, and I made him a card and picked him a bouquet because he's always asking for one.

But alas, the poor kid barely was able to enjoy Cars 2 (nowhere near as good as the original and FULL of guns and violence) or his gifts because he was so sick.

But he's the cutest 4-year-old that ever existed. Just so you know.

My little one turned 2.

Seeing these pictures just breaks me down, because for some reason I feel like I can see all at once how he has grown. My baby is no more. Intellectually I know this, but somehow I just saw it for the first time. Remick chose his birthday activities (except for the big block of the day in which I had to go to work) and it included cereal, the beach, rumble tumble (postponed until the next day), popsicles, and pizza. I love this crazy, willful thing so much.

He got a box from Grammy the night before his birthday. He opened the gifts with gusto and when I asked what was it? He would answer "It's mine! It's someping and it's mine!"

UPS

When the UPS truck arrived the other day and the woman got out, Makili screamed at the top of his lungs,

"Dad, the man that sells boxes is here."

Farewell to a good group

We had a send off party for this year's exchange students. They were a really great group. I will miss them!

This new friend.

This new friend of mine brought me dinner tonight. She made me the most delicious smoothie you can imagine, and a sandwich on bread she baked, and homemade frozen yogurt. For real. Like delivered it to me at the farmers' market while helping me take down my tent and pack up all my unsold stuff. I can't even begin to express my friend crush. I am totally having a moment over homemade frozen yogurt which is pretty much the bees knees and kicks store-bought ice-cream's ass. And when delivered by new friend while at work after sitting in a tent on a 85+ degree day equals the greatest confection conceived by the mind of man and just about the sweetest expression of friendship I can imagine. I feel lucky.

Taking Mr. Potato head too far

Me Want Junk Food

Little Remick is quite a hoot these days. Aside from being VERY two and refusing to do anything cooperatively, he is also my little diabetic in training. Last week when we were up at Ann and Larry's, Larry asked me what he would eat for dinner. I quickly responded that he won't eat anything - he just likes junk food. So then there was a hilarious half hour when Larry would offer him something, and no matter what it was healthy or not, he would reply "Me Want Junk Food!"

This little one is quite certain he is every bit as big as Makili and therefore should be able to do ANYTHING his brother or any other bigger kid is doing. Yesterday we took the kids swimming. Makili is pretty good now having had a series of lessons this spring, and though he wears a "bubbble" is able to go about on his own quite well. Remick is quite certain that he can swim and spent the whole time trying to push out of our arms, jump off the side onto kickboards when we weren't ready, and even tried to swim out to Raph one time when Raph was three body-lengths away. He was a pretty good sport too about nearly sinking as far as things go. He and his brother spend hours jumping off the furniture together and creating obstacles and games out of it. "Falling on my face" is a favorite one.

Remick also has THE most dramatic pout you've ever seen. It takes in his whole face and makes his look rather funny. It cracks us up through and random strangers too.

We've also learned that bugs like him. He'll scream at night - "OW! Ow! My back (or leg, or arms, etc)." He screams so much that we'll go in there at say 2:00am and it will all be over a bug bite. It is rather exhausting.

My favorite thing about Remick is how he likes to hug for a like half an hour after he wakes up. He'll just sit on my lap and tell me stories and hug me around the neck. It is so nice.