Happy Halloween!

Emmet's masterpiece below. Who doesn't love the time honored tradition of carving a Jack-O-Lantern with Daddy on Halloween Eve?

Leading up to this Halloween, Keeley, like most 3 year old girls, changed her costume idea multiple times. She started out the fall wanting to be Angelina Ballerina. Then she was dead set on "Elsa" from frozen and wearing her new dress up from Aunt Bri - the "FRozen Gown." However, last minute the day before the "Trick or Treat Street" Bethel downtown event, she told me she wanted to be a mermaid. Total curveball. I remembered we had a tiara in her closet and the singing sea shell necklace from "The Little Mermaid" in her closet. That will work. Then I found a sparkly sweater that I thought looked like scales, or at least, that is what I told Keeley. Finally a tutu that was her "fins." She was thrilled. And just like that, we had a mermaid. Cora was a little girl frog, a hand me down costume that Keeley wore at this age, which I can't get enough of. I guess the Ferriter girls just wanted to go aquatic this year. I'd say they pulled it off.

This was our first year participating in the "Trick or Treat Street" event, where all of the store owners in town stand outside handing out candy to the children of the neighborhood. It was so much fun. The streets were packed with Bethel kids and they couldn't have got a sunnier, more perfect day for families to be outside all afternoon walking up and down the sidewalks of Greenwood Avenue. On the Municipal Center lawn, they had speakers playing loud and fun Halloween music, and we met up with lots of familiar faces there. Dancing around with her satchel full of chocolate candy and greeting her friends like the mayor, Keeley was in her glory.

On Halloween night, we promised Keels we would trick-or-treat "In the Dark" for a bit, so we headed over to Ralph and Cheryl's next door, and then to the Ferriers up the block for some house to house strolling. The girls loved seeing all the kids out in costumes and the homeowners off of the main street did a fantastic job decorating and preparing for all the little people in town to come by.

16 Months Old- Cora Larkin

Long Island Visit

When a few months go by and I haven't been home to West Babylon, I start to get the homesick feeling that I need to see my parents and grandparents. My Mom and Dad always make a point to come see us in CT, but sometimes you need to sit in your childhood bedroom or stand in your old backyard in order to get that peace of mind that makes you feel yourself again. That seems to never go away, no matter how old I get. Only now, when I make the trip to Long Island, I have the benefit of bringing two little girls in the backseat behind me who wake up at the toll booth before the bridge religiously, and jump and squeal under their seat belts in South State Parkway traffic, even more excited than I am to soon arrive at "Nanny and Papa's house."

 Stories with Nanny on the couch

 Raking leaves with Papa

A swing ride at Belmont Lake

Four generations :) So happy that my grandparents moved in next door to my Mom and Dad. Everyone who makes the traffic bearable just got a lot closer together. And that makes it easier than ever to share a cup of tea with Grammy and Grandpa Fitz and snag some cookies and funny lines from the New Yorkers I love most.

Sister shots -Fall 2014

Being a sister is a  love/ she's driving me crazy relationship. Here are some moments of the love.

Family Trip to Boston

Emmet and I are in love with Boston. There are a million reasons that people love this town, but for me, it is a sentimental one (and as you all know, it is NOT THE RED SOX). After college, I had lived a year away from home in Russia, followed by a year away from the east coast in California, so moving back to Boston with Emmet back in 2007 was like coming home- to family, to college friends, to my old time zone... basically to everything that was familiar and fun. We had an incredible two years there full of happy hours with friends at local bars, great regional hikes and day trips in New England, and countless afternoons relaxing and loving life on our old couch in Brookline. Ahh... the good old days.

Since kids have come along, it is much less frequently that we get to visit, so when we had a free few days over Emmet's October vacation, this family trip was a no brainer. Poor Auntie Mary had to put us up in her half renovated two bedroom apartment in the West End for "Five days and four nights... but whose counting?!!!!) as she says.

As always, when traveling anywhere, Emmet had a jam-packed, yet perfect itinerary. We drove straight from my cousin's house in Braintree Thursday morning to the Children's Museum, which was ideal for a rainy day. Then we settled in at Mary's, took a family nap, and headed out for dim sum in China town.

Friday morning, we headed with the double stroller all the way to the North End, where Emmet had researched a great, gated playground with lots of 1-5 year old push toys and a nice playscape. A cup of coffee for us and an hour for Keeley to ride her scooter and Cora to run in circles was perfect. We walked home to the West End taking our time, looking at the brick buildings, enjoying the stoops decorated with mums and pumpkins, stopping at the waterfront, and weaving through Quincy Market.

After nap time, we decided to walk some more, with the Boston Commons/ Public Gardens and the duck statues from McClosky's "Make Way for Ducklings" as our destination. The parks were full of tourists, families and young kids in love, all taking advantage of the fall sunshine.

Obviously, a walk though Beacon Hill is not complete for the kids ( or for Mommy) without an ice cream cone at JP Licks! 

And now for a huge shout out to the "Aunties," Auntie K and Auntie Mae-Mae who watched our children so that we could go up to a wedding in Maine. The girls adore them both, and so do we. Keeley is still running around repeating Mae-Mae's "only rule:"  "NO CHOKING CHILDREN."

The playgrounds on the Charles River up the block from Mary's place were our home away from home for the time we spent on Hawthorne Place. You always need a go to place to wear out the munchkins when you're staying in a city, and it doesn't hurt to have a sister-in-law full of energy and giggles to help you take care of your kids.

PS - Let it be known that Katherine even had the guts to take the two girls to the Aquarium while we were away= AUNT OF THE YEAR! 

Bunking up with the cousins

Our first stop on our Massachusetts adventure was my cousin Kevin and his wife, Jen's house in Braintree. ALthough we don't get to see them as much as we like, Keeley absolutely idolizes their oldest daughter, Shea, and is the same age as their son, Gavin. Cora and their youngest are were born a day apart :) Needless to say, the kids were happy to see their second cousins and we were happy to have a kid-friendly location to camp out in with two pretty cool parents.

Keeley will never forget "waiting for Shea to get off the bus" and having a "sleepover" with her cousins in Boston. Pizza for all, and wine and beer for the grown ups after bedtime always makes for a happy time. Above in this photo, breakfast for five munchkins and lots of coffee for the adults as we get the day started and head off to the Children's Museum!

Benny's Wedding

The only thing better for parents of young children than a wedding where you can go out and let loose, is a wedding where you get to sleepover in a different city that night and wake up the next day on your own! Thanks to Katherine and Mary, we got to do just that up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for Ben and Katie's wedding. The weather was beautiful and we always love a good Holy Cross reunion.

This picture is a bit blurry, which is fitting for this time of night when two old college buddies get together:)