You Capture: Togetherness

The three of us went for a short walk around the neighborhood the other night. Our street is pretty quiet so Jack can roam around.  He has this funny little obsession about the manhole covers. He has to make sure he steps on each one and when he does, he gets the biggest kick out of it.  In this shot, Rob is standing on one, which was a way to guarantee a smile out of Jack.  I love this shot of Jack and Rob together in front of the colorful tree.  :) 

I am linking up to I Should be Folding Laundry for this week's you capture challenge: togetherness

3 Years!

Happy Anniversary to my husband and best friend!  I love you!  

Here are some of my favorite shots from our wedding day...

Until next year summer...

Dear Summer, 

You flew by faster than any other that I can remember.  Thanks for giving us spectacular weather and lots of hot weather fun.  You've been a big season for Jack.  He's walking, speaking in sentences (in his adorable voice), and has started to become an independent little boy all over that last three months.

Until next year...

I will miss you summer!!

Fun with Chalk

Today was a gorgeous day to have fun with chalk and add some color to the driveway...

Jack got more on himself than any other place...

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

At our house, we always seem to have bananas at various stages of ripeness.  It's just one of those things that comes along with having a toddler.  Green, yellow, spotted, black...we've got them all, all the time.  A benefit to this is that we can have banana bread whenever the mood strikes.  I actually know the recipe by heart, since lately we always have super ripe bananas around...

I do want to write it out here though, so I know where to find it in case Mommy brain strikes and I need my fix!

Jack enjoying the results...

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2 cups AP flour

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup chocolate chips

Brown sugar (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the oil, eggs, vanilla and bananas. Combine with a spoon. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into loaf pan that has been greased with cooking spray. Sprinkle top with brown sugar if you want a sweet and crispy topping.

Cover loosely with a tent of foil.  Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

YUM!  

At the carousel

We finally made it to the Carousel at Crescent Park last weekend.  Jack LOVED it, and so did Rob and I. Jack giggled throughout the entire ride and when he asked for more, we couldn't resist, so we bought more tickets!  Apparently, it's one of the only carousels in America where you can still grab the brass ring for a free ride (rides cost only $1)!  

I am linking up to I Should be Folding Laundry for this week's you capture challenge:  Signs

22 Months (& 4 days)

Happy 22 months Jack!  Mommy loves you (and your smile) very much!  

On the water during Earl

At this time last week we were all wondering if Earl was going to come our way. On Thursday we made a mad dash to the grocery store, like everyone else, and stocked up on batteries and bottled water.  The guy down the street from us even boarded up his windows. On Friday morning, the day that Earl was supposed to greet us, we headed down to Newport with Kara and Paul (who were visiting from Maine) to check out the waves at Brenton Point.  The ocean was pretty spectacular that day...these pictures don't really do it justice.  We were there around noon on Friday and the storm was meant to make its closest pass in the middle of that night. Turns out it was just a rain storm near us. No wind at all. I guess we were pretty lucky that Earl didn't pay us a visit! Rob was hoping that we'd have a few tree limbs down so that he could buy a chainsaw!  ha!

Check out other On the Water shots at:

Haircut

These are some pictures of Jack from yesterday morning. I've been saying for weeks (maybe even months) that he's in desperate need of a haircut.  

We've only cut his hair a handful of times and it's always a traumatic experience for the three of us.  So yesterday I took him to a place that specializes in kids haircuts where he could watch Elmo and blow bubbles while a professional clips away...

In his cape, and oblivious as to what's about to happen...

At each station, they have a TV...Jack was more into the bubbles...

Yes, that is a smile...

Holding onto those bubble for dear life...

Checking out his new doo...

Success!  There were only a few tears in the beginning, but once the bubbles came out he was happy. :)