"I want to go to Katie & Chris's house...I love it!"

This is what Kaia said every time we got in the car to drive from one destination to another on our recent vacation to see friends in North Carolina. This is the first time I can ever remember her spontaneously saying she loves something except Asher (she likes to hug him and say, "I love you so much, Asher. I just love you so much, Ash!" We had a great time with our friends, and I think Kaia really loved having access to a backyard all day every day. We certainly saw the merits of having outdoor space that you can call your own. The first couple days of our trip, Kaia kept trying to break out of the yard because she was convinced there were animals just on the other side of the gate. I guess she thought we were near a farm because of all the trees everywhere. We went on a walk to find some animals and the only one we found was a dog being walked by its owner! Here are some of the highlights of our trip:
We went to the beach in Wilmington.

We enjoyed a baseball game in Durham, NC. Kaia loved pointing out the "animal" - the bull that was the mascot for the Durham team.

Kaia liked goofing around with these "rabbit ears" near a waterfront walk in Wilmington, NC.

Asher celebrated his 1 year birthday in NC! He loved his carrot cake!

Funny Faces

Asher has some of the greatest expressions. These pictures say it all:
Here he's enjoying a BIG mouthful of watermelon!

Some of the Italians in the neighborhood have been teaching Asher how to make his point. "Mamma mia!"

This is the face he makes throughout every day by pushing his lips out as far as they will go. Then he makes funny blowing sounds through them. He loves saying "Uh dah?" for "What's that?" and then making this face.

"No, you're not listening to me and how I feel inside!"

The Crayola Factory

As a family we enjoyed a fun day yesterday at the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA. The kids loved the opportunity to make arts and crafts and draw on the walls! They also had a transportation museum on the top floors - Kaia and Asher both loved playing the part of the conductor in this model train.


Below see Kaia and Peter working together on a parrot. Notice who's actually doing all the coloring!

A big cheesy grin for all our fun working with clay:

We stopped by McDonald's on our way home to grab ice cream treats. Asher LOVED Peter's Mudbath Milkshake (a limited time only flavor!). He literally sucked on the straw for nearly 3 minutes straight!