To Curious George We Go!

Bubbe came to visit us this week and boy did we have fun! On Friday, the girls went to Wrentham in search of "raincoat and hat" for Belle. While we didn't really find a suitable raincoat, both girls were satisfied with the trip because they got chocolate chip cookies and Wendy's Kids Meals on the way home!

Saturday brought a trip into Boston and a tour of the Boston Children's Museum, a first for the girls. Of course we enjoyed all of the floors - we got to pet ferrets and walk through the Arthur play area as highlights - but had the most fun at the Curious George Exhibit. It was fun to explore all of the math and science-related themes, and to play in all of the stations, from the farm to the rocket ship to Chef Piscetti's (sp?) restaurant. Claire's favorite part was trying to back into the bunny huts - she fit perfectly! Belle was in awe to see all of the favorite parts of her books and movies come alive.

Mother's Day 2010

We had lots of fun this week!

On Wednesday, we went to Mother's Day Tea at Annabelle's school, where the kids sang a song and provided beautifully colored and fingerprinted poems. Of course there was lots of tea and cookies to be had too. Claire had a blast playing at her big sister's school, taking off on her own to play on the slide or in the cars. Belle enjoyed having us there as well.

While Belle was at school on Friday, Claire and I met the Moms and Tots group at the Capron Park Zoo and had a blast. While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, Claire threw my fleece on the ground and started "swimming" like she does at home, and in imitation of Reilly. Pretty funny! She loved imitating all the animals and especially enjoyed the herons and the bears. She also liked watching Mommy feed the goats and llama, trying to pet them herself. But, her favorite part was running up and down the wooden bridge to look at the ducks, fish and other animals swimming in the water.

Mother's Day itself was a quiet, cold day! We started off trying to walk into a 40mph wind in 40 degree weather and quickly realized a family trip to the grocery store was probably smarter. Daddy and Belle then went to Home Depot to get charcoal and propane so they could grill steak and scallops for a special dinner - yum! We spent the afternoon playing and relaxing, which ended up being the perfect activities to celebrate being a mom!

The Three C's: Chocolate, Circus and Ceremony!

Now this week, I remember! We started out by formalizing a new tradition in the Griffith Household whereby Daddy goes to Dunkin Donuts on Saturday and Sunday, returning with a large iced coffee for him and a chocolate glazed donut for each of the girls (with one bite for Mommy)!

Also this week, Claire decided to attempt feeding herself applesauce - quite a site indeed.

We also took our first trip to the circus and the girls were amazing, lasting two hours before getting fussy after intermission. Truth be told, Patrick and I were ready to go by then too! We got to see elephants, clowns, tigers and all sorts of acts. Oh and Claire threw a shoe down the tunnel so a nice security guard had to go get it for us - oops!

We also started exploring and playing around with the water table that our neighbor, Kathy, gave to us. Next up, adding more toys and putting on bathings suits so we can enjoy the full effect!

And then today we were lucky to have been included in a very special naming ceremony for the son of two of our very best friends. It was beautiful, filled with family, friends and love - truly an event as gorgeous as the weather outside. Of course only Daddy got to participate since the girls were having too much fun playing with Tyler and Zach's toys, but Mommy's trying to realize they are only 1 and 2 years old - and thinking she needs to get them out to more playgroups for socialization!

What Happened to Last Week?

As I sat down to write this week's blog entry, I quickly realized I have no idea what happened last week. I only took a few pictures and have no fun stories to tell, despite Belle being home all week because of School Vacation Week being celebrated at Preschool. Maybe that's because both girls had colds and allergies all week or perhaps it's because sibling rivalry has hit 100 percent full-blown so Mommy spent all of her free time trying to get Belle not to beat up on her sister - though at least Claire is starting to hit back.

Both girls are teaching Mommy about patience and about watching what she says. Belle's new word for the week was "Knucklehead," as she pointed to Claire. Claire, for her part, is growing her vocabulary at a rapid pace, adding "trash" (said in a whisper), "clock," "chair" and "sis," "sister" and "sista" for Belle. She calls for her favorite guys too - "Daddy" and "Eilly".

Winslow Farm and a Visit from Uncle Jeremy!

This week the Griffith Girls took a trip to Winslow Farm in Norton, an animal sanctuary where most of the wildlife roam free; in fact, a donkey walked right up to Claire in the stroller. We didn't see any cows but we did find sheep, goats, horses, peacock, geese and a pot-belly pig!

On Friday, Gaga came to visit after a trip to the new house in Connecticut. We enjoyed our short visit and were glad that he was able to surprise Uncle Jeremy who flew in that same evening. The girls loved having two of their favorite men in the house and can't wait for a repeat visit. Belle and Uncle Jeremy became best buds - she loved having him read to her and "chat" with Raoul D and Georgie :-)

Claire, for her part, got a new nickname from Uncle Jeremy and Daddy - "Wild Mike" from the movie, Barnyard since her hair is so wild and crazy. Way better than "Super Tanker" so we'll take it. Of course, Mommy's still partial to Clairey, CC Bear, Bear and CC-Licious :-)

The Great Outdoors!

After a week of rain, the Griffith Girls were so happy to be able to go outside to play. Whether in regular clothes or jammies, nothing can stop these gals from exploring the great outdoors.

Belle loves watching and listening to water these days so Mommy and Claire (and Reilly) picked her up from school in the stroller on Monday and walked down to the end of Cross Street to watch the road repairs and witness the water levels for ourselves.

While Belle was at school, Claire had fun exploring her slide and play gym from Bubbe - of course it's more fun to go up the slide than down. She was quite taken with the grass, too, and with making funny faces in the sun.

We also went to Lauren's 2nd birthday party, playing indoors and outside, and enjoying pizza and cupcakes. Since we had to leave early so Mommy could make it to an appointment, we took the cupcakes home and enjoyed them at the kitchen table. Boy was that fun! Belle hate the whole cupcake, for once, so clearly yellow cupcakes and chocolate frosting are her favorite - same as Mommy. Claire, for her part, went crazy with the cupcake. While she didn't want anything to do with cake at her first birthday party, she devoured Lauren's treat and enjoyed making a huge mess.

We had a busy day on Saturday. After meeting Paul, Jess, Tyler and Zach for lunch in Wrentham, Mommy's friend, Stephanie, pinch-hit for Mommy and Daddy so they could enjoy a date night. While the girls wouldn't let her change their diapers or put them in jammies, Stephanie had fun playing with the girls - after all, who doesn't like drawing with sidewalk chalk...And the parents enjoyed a fantastic (albeit slightly salty) dinner at Twenty8 at Patriot Place, followed by Hot Tub Time Machine!

We're also trying to keep potty training front of mind but Belle would still rather stand on her potty so she can reach the sink or grab the toilet paper holder than actually use it. Still, she's interested, saying, "Follow?" when anyone tries to use the bathroom. She's very sweet, sitting fully clothed on her potty and then saying, "Flush?" At least she understands the process, right? :-)

Happy Easter!

We had a fantastic week. Sure, it began with 7.1 inches of rain and the experience of having the Canoe River kissing the back fence, when it's normally 1.4 mile away...BUT we didn't have any flooding in or around our house, like many of our neighbors, so we are so grateful.

This weekend we hosted Jim, Leslie and Josh Warner from Endicott, NY, Daddy's friends from growing up and we had such a great time!!! We went to the New England Aquarium, a first for the girls, and then walked around Fanueil Hall, ending up at Cheer's for lunch. Annabelle also taught Josh a few signs, like "more."

The girls enjoyed their Easter baskets for the first time this year, though Mommy and Daddy learned to hide the candy since Belle wouldn't stop eating it and Claire wanted to try too many pieces - foil and all - so there's chocolate drool all over the house now - yuck!