Happy 5th Anniversary!

It feels like just yesterday I was pulling back the curtains at the Desmond to reveal the most beautiful cloudless sky I had ever seen. It was the morning of our wedding, and the most wonderful day of my life! So much has changed in these past five years, but one thing remains the same - I love you and I would marry you all over again! Thank you for the beautiful family and wonderful home we have created together. I can't wait for all of the wonderful things that we have in front of us. I love you, I love you, I love you!

Embarassment of The Day

Jake and I were in fancy-schmancy Greenwich, CT after my chiropractor's appointment yesterday, and we stopped at Starbucks for a snack. He picked out a nice table for us, opened up his milk and put in the straw all by himself, and was helping himself to our petite vanilla bean scones. He was being quite well-behaved and getting the attention of a few of the local patrons, which he immediately picks up on. I was the proud mama of an adorable independent three-year old.

Then he decided to act silly and drop the word "poop" into our conversation. I swiftly and sternly warned him that was not a word to use in public, and certainly not in an eating establishment. He used it again. I gave him the final warning - say it again, and we're leaving. Of course he tested me and said poop again. "That's it, we're leaving," and I quickly began to pick up our things and put on my jacket.

Jake freaks out and begins yelling, pleading loudly: "I'M NOT SAYING POOP! I'M NOT SAYING POOP ANYMORE MOMMY! PLEASE SIT DOWN! I'M NOT SAYING POOOOOOP!!!!" The customers around us, of course, erupt into laughter, as I try to quiet him down while following through on my threat, and not crack up myself.

I followed through on my threat, and we left, but not without causing a huge scene. Needless to say, we'll be avoiding the Greenwich Ave Starbucks for a little while, thanks to Jake.

Impromptu Fall Portrait Session

I've been so busy photographing weddings lately, that I have hardly had any time to photograph my own family. We pulled out the fall/winter wardrobe the other day, and I was so happy that my favorite sweater of Jake's from last year still fit him (even though I was stupid and bought it in a 2T, not 3T last fall. It barely fits). So I outfitted him in the sweater and matching hat, and out in the backyard we went for a quick fun impromptu portrait session.




His famous "angry face"


And his "surprised face"




Love love love this one...





Ralph got in on the action too...




I hadn't noticed how much Jake is starting to look like Ralph until I was editing these photos. They have the exact same smiles!

What does blue and green make?

Over the summer, Jake really seemed to enjoy the days when we would finger paint. He and I would spread newspaper on the dining room table, set up our tubes of chalky-smelling poster paint, squirt dots of blue, red, yellow and white on little paper plates, and mix our primary colors together to make the secondary colors. He loved to take a dab of each color on his paintbrush before setting brush to paper. Then, eventually, he would mix them all together with his paintbrush or fingers and make brown-ish sludge. It was messy, but he loved it, and still often asks to finger paint.

Jake has been particularly interested in colors lately, especially which colors can be mixed together to make new colors. He asks us all the time. He knows the secondary colors well: blue and red make purple, red and yellow make orange, and blue and yellow make green. Now he asks a lot about mixing primary and secondary colors together. Sadly, the answer to most of those questions is: "brown".
Jake: "What does red and green make?"
Me: "Brown."
Jake: "What does orange and blue make?"
Me:"Brown."
Jake: "But you said red and green make brown!"
Me: "Yes honey, when you mix primary colors with secondary colors, lots of times you just get brown."
Jake: "Oh."

The funny part is when he trips us up. We'll be driving along, and he'll ask us "What does yellow and brown make?" And we answer "Um... I think it makes orange?" He says, "No, red and yellow make orange." He is paying attention, I'll give him that!

He challenges me when I tell him that black and white make gray. He insists the correct answer is silver. I tell him that if you mix metallic white or black together, you will get silver, but normally you just get gray. He insists silver is the correct answer. It has been debated several times now. I'm enjoying the combination of his father's brains and memory with his mother's love of art.

If your little one wants to know more about mixing colors, here is a good site to learn some of the basics.

Self-proclaimed Rockstar strikes again

Rocking out at the Yanks Game

You can't stop Jake from rocking out - even at the Yankees Game the other night...