120/365: fun playdates

The Levine family came for a visit today and we had such a ball! Jordyn and Sam are just 3 months apart and they loved playing together...and using "potty words" at the table! We went to Bayfest and strolled all the vendors and then the kids had time to play and eat dinner together. Everyone was so sad when it was time to leave after a long, busy day. Luckily, there will be another "reunion" in a couple weeks for Jordyn's 4th birthday party! Thank goodness for fun playdates

119/365: potential

From the beginning , we loved the "bones" of the house but kept repeating that it has "great potential" because it was in need of some TLC. The landscaper came today so we could take care of some things around the house...take out dead things, plant some flowers to add color leading to the front door and assess the backyard. We know that it is time for a new fence but it is hard to do this in isolation. Grass seed needs to be planted when the ground is leveled a bit, broken stones need repair, the deck needs replacing and all in all, the yard needs a bit of an overhaul for it to really be a wonderfully, utilized space. This is true of various parts of the house, but this is a spot where we could really entertain and enjoy in the summer months so we have our homework cut out to look into restrictions regarding the pond and gathering estimates for the work that needs to be done. It seems like yet another big project with the house so instead of "thank goodness for looking into spending a lot of money"...I will say, thank goodness for potential

118/365: metaphors

It is pretty lousy when one or two berries ruin the whole bunch! These strawberries are so red and looked great in the market and just a few days after buying them, a little mold appeared and the batch had to be tossed. Interestingly, people are a lot like fruit...they can be sweet, you can't wait to meet (try) a new one and on the contrary, one lousy one can affect the whole bunch :( Thank goodness for metaphors

117/365: Camden Aquarium

Today we took the boys for the first time to the Camden Aquarium. It was a bit of a tricky day...lots of school groups made it a bit of a challenge to access the tanks and exhibits and I was playing a lot with camera settings to get the best shots. It is not easy with the reflection of the glass tanks, use or non-use of a flash and adjusting the ISO to let in the most light whenever possible...whew! This was one of the first shots of the day of the sharks where you can actually reach in and touch them! The real "thank goodness" for this blog post should be that Sam was afraid to reach in :) It was fun to see the Hippo named Button, see jellyfish, penguins, seals and we even "found" Nemo! Thank goodness for the Camden Aquarium.

116/365: pizza after passover

As the story goes, Moses was put in a basket in the Nile River until Pharoh's daughter saved him. Moses led the Israelites out of slavery and out of Egypt in a hurry so their bread didn't have time to rise, hence eating matzoh. The Red Sea parted and so began the forty-year desert journey to the land of milk and honey....and whole wheat pizza! Thank goodness for our freedom. Thank goodness for pizza after passover

115/365: fabulous foursome

Max and Lola were off of school for spring break so we had a long distance playdate today and Sam was thrilled! Max and Sam practiced their reading skills, "Miss Mimi" tried to arrange a naptime until Lola screamed out, "Pillow fight!!" It was a fun-filled day and for the first time, Luke was awake and watched all the fun that he will have with his big cousins. Luke is one lucky little guy to be part of this little cousins club. Thank goodness for this fabulous foursome



114/365: not-so-calm Sunday afternoons

The Flyers playoffs make for craziness around here and probably only crazier as the years go on and we go from one screamer to three! Jay certainly got Sam in the action today but luckily Luke giggled through all the hoopla. The excitement was worth it to score in overtime and the Flyers head home for big game 7. Just hoping Tuesday night's "cheers" don't wake the sleeping fans. Thank goodness for not-so-calm Sunday afternoons