Momo & Jiji, this one's for you

Izzy allowed Ethan to have a turn playing teacher in their special school yesterday. We were very happy to see that they have a very diverse student population!

Mini-Marc

We let E-man share* Marc's malted vanilla milkshake, and I think it's safe to say that he loves them as much as his daddy:

Don't look away, Daddy, he'll drink the rest!

And...done

*Marc claims Ethan drank 75% of this glass.

It's fun having creative friends!

Izzy got a really cute belated bday gift from her friend Ecco recently. As if the shiny pink piggy bank wasn't cool enough, it came with some personalized bags of coins ("Wow, it's REAL money, Mom*!") and she got to practice her counting as she deposited ALL of it into her new bank.



In short, Izzy LOVES her new piggy bank:

*Izzy is apparently 4 going on 14...I'm no longer "Mama" or "Mommy" but instead, "Mom." Ugh. Growing up way too fast.

Driving Mr. Ethan

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Where did February go?

February is a short month, but that's not my excuse for lacking on the blog post front. February and March are our birthday party months. We're thankful to be able to celebrate so many of Izzy's friends' birthdays...but it doesn't leave much time left over to blog.

Here are some pics from February of our two goofballs:







Earlier in the month, Iz got to celebrate her birthday with some friends at CeramiCafe, a paint-your-own-pottery place. The kids had a great time painting and having cupcakes.






Sibling love:

Happy Birthday Izzy

A year in the life of Izzy as seen through pictures. (make sure your sound is on!)

Download now or watch on posterous

Izzy_Birthday.wmv (35366 KB)

The Babe Turns Four!

We can hardly believe that it's been four years since Izzy came into this world and instantly brightened our lives. Each year brings more fun, more laughter, more challenges :), and so much more learning. My earliest vivid childhood memories are from when I was three or so years old, so I often remind myself that what Izzy is experiencing right now is probably leaving a lasting impression on her. We did our best to make her 4th birthday a memorable one!

Starting the big day off by running through her bday streamers:

Then, time for the bday hat and opening gifts:

Looks like she has a little helper, ready to open her gifts for her!


She actually loves the instant insects (thanks, Momo & Jiji!) but this picture is funny because of her expression:

Beautiful flower necklace and ring from Momo & Jiji:

Thanks, Lola & Lolo, for the Tag books!

Looking at the picture of Taka's special snowman that he made just for Izzy:

The Dora singing card will never get old:

Can't wait to do her craft projects! (Thanks, Monique, Neal & Nico!!)


I had a near cake disaster but was able to make it look somewhat presentable. I have a whole new appreciation for cake makers/decorators! At least you can make out the shape of the 4, and it showcases Iz's personalized M&Ms.




That evening Iz enjoyed cake with our extended family: Kelly, Jessica, and Porter, and Chris & D. When she was settling into bed that night she said, "I'm 4! I had such a GREAT birthday. EVERYTHING is my favorite!"