The Burke Fam

2nd Annual Pamela Burke 5k

2008-11-25T20:02:00.005-05:00

The elementary school that my mother-in-law used to work at held their 2nd anuual 5k to raise money for breast cancer research. It was a lovely day, which is only appropriate because Pam was SUCH a lovely person. The type of person that (I know this is cliche) lit up any room the minute she walked in....she really did! We all miss her dearly and are so grateful that others were so touched by her that they've started a 5k in her name! She was beautiful, classy, sweet, fun.....there are too many good qualities to name here. We love & miss you Pam!!

Zack thanked everyone for being there and spoke about what a wonderful woman his mother was. Zack & I Cousin Sarah & Ethan

Peek-a-boo!

Gramps is 85!

2008-11-10T17:20:00.006-05:00

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with my wonderful Grandpa, mom & 2 of my sisters in Ohio this past weekend. We were able to celebrate my Grandpa's 85th birthday, which was a great experience! He's had such an amazing, full life and is a great example to everyone he meets. I'm so grateful to have him as a Grandfather. I have so many special memories from my childhood because of him - he makes everyone around him feel special.....and most importantly, I have always equated my Grandpa with FUN! He's got a great sense of humor, a deep appreciation for family, and he always tells us wonderful stories about how much he loves his dear wife (who passed away a few years back) He makes me proud to be his grand-daughter!

Just one of the several (free!) birthday desserts he received this weekend :)

Grandpa & Mom Me & Grandpa (remember, I didn't eat too much....I'm pregnant!) Opening his presents

Uncle David, Jen, Lizzy, Me, Mom & Gramps

Cute Bday cake made by my Grandpa's good friends, the Parrs.

The whole gang doing what we do best....eating out ;)

Halloween!!!

2008-11-05T16:10:00.005-05:00

It sure was a busy day. Here's what we did...

Ethan took part in his Halloween parade at his elementary school

Then we carved 2 pumpkins (quickly! While Spence napped) ;)

Ethan got a pretty good shot of my 8 month belly! Yikes.

Spencer freaked out at first when put in his Chewbacca costume....probably pretty itchy in there!

Cute little wookie-foot

He cheered up once we got outside. He was the hit of the night! Everyone chuckled as he passed :)

Check out that mullet sticking out the bottom!!

Ethan forced me to take pictures of him, acting like a real stormtrooper...such a ham!

Very short trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-24T10:24:00.006-04:00

I only was able to get 2 pictures from the pumpkin patch (I've added lots of fall colors to this post to make up for the lack of good pictures) ;)

I promised Ethan we'd go that day, and I forgot that Zack had a lacrosse game to coach, right in the middle of the day.

The mood of the trip was cast when Spencer took a big spill in the dirt.

Which he really didn't like......

So it was a short trip, to say the least.

Here's my good child....posing with the pumpkins. On the lovely crates. ;)

Word to the Wise....Part 2!

2008-10-19T19:57:00.003-04:00

I'm full of advice these days.

So never turn on your shower, realize you forgot a towel and run real quick down the hall to get one.... this could happen to you too! :)

I did this.....

2008-10-06T10:54:00.003-04:00

All by myself......

In a matter of about 30 mins.....It's gotta be the pregnancy.

Word to the Wise.....

2008-09-24T20:18:00.003-04:00

Putting your child in a shirt that says

doesn't mean your child will become

In fact, it may have the exact opposite effect....

The term IRONIC came to mind several times today ;)

Ethan's Photo Shoot

2008-09-19T15:33:00.009-04:00

Ethan reallllllllly wanted to take some pictures this evening. Here's the magic he captured:

My poor pots.....they're lonely cuz their flower friends always DIE :(

Ethan told me he was only getting Spencer in the frame! But now that I think of it, 5 yr olds don't know what "frames" are do they????Mmmmm....yeah - if I knew I was being photographed, I wouldn't have looked so bored ;) His abstract art collection ;) The famed photographer Actually, a really cool shot of Spence!

Gross. His face isn't always so boogie-ish, I swear..... Think I dozed off for a sec in this one..... :)

I had to take just one! So glad I did....capturing these two movers in action ain't easy!!!

This is a true story.

2008-09-17T10:28:00.004-04:00

My worst fears have come to pass.

My sweet little Ethie has encountered mean, horrible BULLYS at school. Actually, they're on his bus to & from school AND in his classroom. Ugh.

For over a week now, he's come home complaining that these 2 boys are teasing him. Saying "you like Elmo, you like Elmo" (Elmo is the little dorky red guy from Sesame Street)

As if!

My child is a shoot-em-up, battle-throwing, Star Wars-loving boy! He actually (much to my dismay) stopped liking Sesame Street at age 2 1/2, but I digress.....

Now Ethan hasn't gotten too upset so far by this constant teasing. I think it upsets me more than it does him. He seems confused, more than anything, as to why kids would tell him he likes something he doesn't. He's a practical kid!

Yesterday, he said they're still teasing him....even doing it quietly in the classroom so the teacher can't hear (evil and smart - bleh!) So I gave him the best advice I could think of - ignore them. I said if you don't say anything back to them, they'll eventually get bored and will leave you alone.

And then dad came home.....

And gave Ethan completely different advice. Somewhere along the lines of "you have to stick up for yourself," "don't let kids push you around," "here's what you do - when they start teasing you, you tell them they like Barbie!" "Oh, and if they don't stop, tell them they look like a girl."

Now, I don't agree with this barbaric advice, however Zack had me convinced by the end of the night that Ethan had to stand up to these bullys. If he didn't, they'll keep on doing it and will get others to as well (that's already happened too - apparently, they told one of the older kids....a safety patrol kid, no less, to make fun of him. This 10 yr old said to Ethan yesterday "I hear you're gonna be Elmo for Halloween!!" SO mean.

So here's the point of my longest blog entry ever!

Our conversation, as I'm getting him ready for school this morning:

Me: So what did Dad tell you to say to those kids?

Ethan: He said to tell them they like Barbie (giggles) and that they look like girls (giggles again)

Me: So are you gonna do that?

Ethan: Ummm (long pause) I don't think so (another long pause) because I think that would be rude, wouldn't it?

Me: (trying to hold back the tears) You know what I think?

Ethan: What?

Me: I think you're the best kid I've ever met.

Ethan's 1st Football Game

2008-09-13T11:26:00.002-04:00

And I forgot my camera. Bad mom! So we did a photo shoot when we got back.

His team (the Pasadena Panthers) won 6-2.....and Ethan scored his very first touchdown!!!

Spencer is on a card!

2008-09-11T19:32:00.002-04:00

OK, not really....just wanted your full attention :)

Anyway, my mom sent me this card a while ago cuz she couldn't believe how much it looks like my child - and I completely agree! In fact, Zack didn't believe me at first when I told him this card baby WASN'T Spencer (he also doesn't believe me when I tell him Ethan's bday is June 20th, NOT the 21st....had to break out the birth certificate about 5 times to prove I was correct.....but who's counting??)

So here's the little chunk on the card

And below are several pics of Spencer where he resembles card baby most (but Spence isn't as chubby-cheeked, right?? His diet of cheese cubes & whole milk keeps him nice and trim, thankyouverymuch!)

Ethan starts kindergarten!!!!

2008-09-01T15:49:00.002-04:00

My handsome little guy

He of course had to have a Star Wars backpack! Puttin' the football moves on Dad before his big day!

Spence is One!!!

2008-08-26T21:00:00.007-04:00

Phew! This year sure has flown by. My little love is SO much fun! He still doesn't get the concept of sleeping through the night, which is annoying. Once he gets that down, he'll be perfect! (Well, he needs to be potty trained, speaking and driving himself to practices....THEN he'll be perfect!) Just kidding - not trying to rush your childhood little monkey! You just take your time....

I won't go on & on about how adorable Spence is and how much he's loved. Just know that he is....both of those.....adorable AND loved! :)

OK, that was too short for me. So we'll all remember, here is a short list of Spencer's Favorite things!!

1) The recently-discovered juice box (preferrably one that his brother is drinking)

2) Mandarin oranges & grapes

3) MEN (as in Ethan, Matt & Dad).....(OK, yes he loves mom too, but I definitely come in a close 4th place. No medals for me :(

4)Teletubbies ( I won't go into how disturbing this show is to me)

5)His green elephant blankie

6) BINKIES!!!

7) Seeing mom in the middle of the night (my least favorite of his favorites)

So we celebrated Spence's 1st bday with a small little party (family only + Debbie & Don, who may as well be family!) ;)

Since I already know I'll get FLOODED with requests on how I made Spencer's amazing birthday cake, I'll just let the cat outta the bag right here. Ready!!! OK, here we go.....You bake a cake. In a small, round pan (this can be found at a very exotic location, such as Michael's or JoAnne's) Then you frost the cake, with an exotic-type frosting.....I prefer Betty Crocker. ( And I also seem to prefer the word "exotic"??!) Next, you take your finger, and you very carefully carve a number "1" in the frosting. Last, you fill the "1" with sprinkles. And here are the fantastically outrageous results!!!!

I'm good, right? I know.

Debbie & hubby, Don

Uncle Ron, Aunt BJ, Cousin Sarah

Cousin Melissa & Tim

Yeah, yeah...I'm 1. Who cares? But after some coaxing from Ethan...... And a not-so-nice threat from Dad....... I dug right in! Ethan, always needing to be a part of the action.

Thanks so much for cleaning my mess of a child, Melissa!!! :)

And, I'm done.

Ocean City Vacation!!

2008-08-12T19:26:00.011-04:00

We went to Ocean City for a little over a week and had a great time on the beach (minus the 1 yr old.....1 yr olds + sand = NOT my favorite thing)

But he's sooooo cute!

The "Spencer pout"

Uncle Matt playing around with Spence

Ethan with his best little bud, Colby (already the prankster!)

There was no way Spence was going to let Ethan eat a popscicle and NOT share

Love the slop

When your vacation is going a little too well.....the weather has been perfect, your kids have been little angels......you can always mix things up a bit by running out of gas. ON A BRIDGE. If you can find a 2-lane, really small bridge....that makes it all the more interesting. Oh, and make sure that when you do run out of gas, you are exactly in the middle of the bridge. I don't think we could have been more in the middle if we used map coordinates. We're that good.

Yep, true story. We ran out of gas on the middle of a bridge. I had to document, right???

Had to call the cops for help

Hurry and fill that tank hon!!!!

Long story short, after filling the minivan up with a gallon of gas, it wouldn't start....such excitement! So the police were nice enough to give us a ride home.

Ethan, riding in what will hopefully be his LAST ride in a cop car!

So if running out of gas while on vacation sounds like fun to you, the sure way to do it is to ignore your wife when she says that morning, on your way to the beach, while driving RIGHT past a gas station "Why don't we get gas now?" Do NOT listen to her! Then you just need to forget to get gas like you said you would. This is all hypothetical of course.... ;)

After all that fun, we were ready for some more low key, less dangerous activities...like the ultra-boring carousel.

That pout again.....

Ethie's so cool - he can have fun by himself on a frog ride built in '73. It was amazing - went up AND down! ;)

Here's a lesson on how to not take a family picture 1) First, make sure to forget to turn on the flash (my personal fave!)

2) Right before the picture is taken, remind your child to "smile like a normal person" (haha - I really do say that to him all the time!) And then feel really stupid cuz he already is :) 3) Bingo!

Our not-so-happy day at the park We escaped from the kids for a night and had a delicious dinner with friends So on our way home, we stop at Wendy's. We're all eating, when suddenly a Steve Winwood song comes on the radio.....you know, slow instrumental-type song. Ethan gets up and starts doing this ninja-esque/modern dance type dance in the middle of the restaurant. Zack & I had no idea what caused it, but it was hilarious. I wish I had recorded it. The pictures just don't do it justice!!!

And we're off!!!!!

2008-07-31T20:38:00.003-04:00

Spencer has decided it's time to join the land of the walking. YAY! Now, I tried alllll day to get good pics of this miraculous event, but it's really hard to get a picture of a baby, walking towards you, taking only about 5 or 6 steps before he falls! There's just no time (And my clicker-thingy is slow) So here's the best I could do.

He's just ridiculous with that hair (bed head.....isn't that what we used to call it??) Cracks me up. Gotta love the protruding 3 1/2 month pregnant belly sticking out in the pic! Notice the how Spence snuck his fat little foot in the picture. You'd almost miss it....if you weren't OBSESSED with fat baby feet like myself. He got lazier as the day went on. We hit dad's lacrosse game in the evening and he had HAD IT with the whole walking thing.

Maybe I'll walk.......??

Naaaah, think I'm good.

Uhhhh, Zack sweats. A lot.

Update

2008-07-27T10:32:00.007-04:00

I haven't really been avoiding my blog. We just haven't done anything exciting enough to constitute an entry. It's been 95 degrees for WEEKS now & I've been feeling very icky due to the 1st trimester. So it's been the park & pool (& the occassional exciting library visit!!!) for us.

We did get to break up the monotany and go to our friend Lucy's 1st Bday party! It was a pool party & everyone had so much fun. I, unfortunately, did a horrible job taking pictures. Sorry!

Ryane trying to give my child ear infections!

And then stealing both his water guns....bully! ;)

Ethan is still adorable as ever...... And playing with what else? Star Wars This is one of his battles he sets up. It takes him around 20-30 mins to get all his figures set up and prepared for battle! Then the actual battle lasts no more than 2 mins. Crazy, in my opinion. I'm hoping it means he's patient???? Ethan is close to having every single figure ever made in the Star Wars collection. Thank goodness they're coming out with a new Clone Wars movie in August...with a whooooole new set of toys to go along with it. (And all of our money as well) We love supporting billionares like George Lucas by buying all his ridiculously over priced toys!!! And Spence is still a messy eater. The End.

Ethan is 5!!!

2008-06-26T15:10:00.009-04:00

I just said to Zack last night that Ethan is SO not my little baby anymore. He's gone from 4 to like, 15 overnight. I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures of Ethan from the past 5 years. He is SUCH a good boy. I know every parent says that, but I'm serious!! :) We are consistently amazed at how sweet, caring, loving & hilarious he is! He's just a joy to be around. We love you Ethie-bug!!

He was a little slimy at first, but we loved him just the same! :)

With Uncle Matt

He was always ALL hands and feet!!

With Grandpa Bob in San Diego

Grandma Pam loved him soooo much!

Ethan went through a phase where he just let himself go!!! We were all very worried about him.....if I had to choose 3 adjectives to describe this self-destructive stage: short, fat, sweaty.

During this time, he could typically be found in a chair, on a couch......anywhere where he could put his feet up and suck away on that binky. And just be sweaty.

Hey, I didn't say he wasn't happy! The lazy life suited him just fine...

Once his 3rd Bday hit, he cleaned up and realized life was too short to sit around and eat all day.(We think the discovery of GIRLS may have had something to do with this miraculous turnaround!) But man, what a turnaround it was.....there was quite the handsome little man underneath all that flesh!

The Twins

Hiiiii-YA!!

He loooooves Grandma Diane!

And sprite is his favorite drink.

He says it makes him "feel funny" :)

So, we were of course concerned regarding how Ethan would take the new baby in the house. He was the best big brother ever, from day one. Except he didn't like the screaming..

He REALLY doesn't like the screaming...

Besides that, Ethan is wonderful with Spencer. He's patient, loving, caring. Everything we could ever have wanted. He never gets jealous.....sometimes he gets annoyed, but not often! Basically, Zack and I have no idea how OUR child became so wonderful.

Even with Spence pulling his hair.....

Ethan just laughs about it.

And he's a big hit with the ladies.....

But he'll always be his moms' little boyfriend!!!!

Bananas!!!

2008-06-15T08:27:00.003-04:00

Every morning for breakfast, Spencer has a waffle and a banana. Surprisingly, he LOVES the banana way more than the waffle?! When I bring the banana out, he flaps his arms up & down like a mad man and screams.....no, SCREECHES a very high pitched screech until the banana is peeled and in his possession. It's hilarious.

Here's my banana. Jealous?

Oops - How rude of me....let me cover my mouth while I stuff my face.

My Husband's a really good coach :)

2008-06-10T20:10:00.004-04:00

He would of course KILL ME if he saw this....too bad he doesn't check his family's blog! ;)

1) http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/highschool/blacrosse/bal-va.bcoach04jun04,0,1591608.story

2) http://www.hometownannapolis.com/art/storypics/080601allcounty_laxb.pdf

3) http://www.digitalsports.com/article/type/organization/typeid/1040/id/29602.aspx

The last link, you have to scroll down to see the article on Zack. And the picture of us is the SICKEST thing I've ever seen! Note to all photographers: Don't ever take pictures of people with your camera UP THEIR NOSES!! Ugh....

And a shout out to my Brother-in-law, Matt, who made 2nd team all-county for the Baltimore Sun and the Annapolis Capital :) Go Cavs!!!

Fun at the pool!

2008-06-06T21:03:00.002-04:00

No, Spence isn't taking a really big leak ;) He's fascinated with the fountains at our pool. He sits in between two of them and dives head first into them every time. It's a bit of a shock to him at first, but he keeps goin' back for more.

Just kickin' back, catching up on Luke, Han Solo & the rest of my boys in Naboo ;)

Happy 60th Mom!!!!

2008-06-04T18:43:00.003-04:00

My dad threw my mom the best birthday ever! He flew me out to LA and me and my other sisters all surprised her for the weekend! It was way too short :( but was quite eventful. We saw Jay Leno, went to a spa, saw the play Wicked, & ate at some really cool restaurants. The only celebs we saw were Roma Downey & Mark Burnett, unfortunately!! I was hoping for more like Brit with a pink wig & a fistful of Cheetos! Anyway - it was an awesome weekend. Thanks so much Dad (Husband - take notes) ;)

I can't put into words how much I LOVE Pinkberry. There are none in Maryland and that is just so, so very sad. I could eat those things every day....strawberries, blueberries & yogurt chips on top!! No, not my dad's real teeth..... Santa Monica Geisha House

Boys 1st Shower Together

2008-05-10T14:51:00.002-04:00

Ethan told me the other day he either wanted to be a painter or a window washer when he grows up (we're so proud ;) Here he is perfecting his window-washing skills in the shower. Such passion!! Sorry for the frontal nudity!

Spencer is so happy to finally be able to shower with his big bro!! But that didn't last too long....

The little weed that could

2008-05-02T11:02:00.004-04:00

Look what I found while picking weeds ALLLLLL day Saturday.... (which is why you can't see my face. Weeding is NOT a good look ;)

It had apparently been so long since I (or any of the other well-equipped-to-pick-weed humans that I reside with) had picked weeds, one actually grew through a foam football... yes, it grew THROUGH the football.

Isn't that crazy? I've vowed to start taking better care of our yard so the weeds don't actually grow up through our house one day. It really could happen. They have a mind of their own....and I'm frightened.

Piglets In The Sand

2008-04-27T19:44:00.003-04:00

I mean!! Seriously....is there anything better??

Cute little guys My child might like La Nae a little too much! ;) This is the face Spence made every time a bird flew by him...he was truly amazed!!

New York!!!

2008-04-22T11:37:00.003-04:00

We were lucky enough to spend Saturday night in NY for Shana's birthday! (Thanks for planning it Matt!) It was such a great night....I didn't take too many pictures, but you'll get the idea. We ate at an AMAZING restaurant, saw Wicked, ate delicious NY pizza (seriously, nothing beats it....) & stayed at the 4 Seasons in Manhattan. To say the least, it was a sad drive home Sunday morning :( We didn't want to leave!!!!

In front of our restaurant, La Bernadin

About to see Wicked Matt claimed he "wasn't hungry" before going into the pizza parlor.... Ha! :) Wish they made it like this in Maryland!! :( OK, I know I'm kind of a loser for taking pictures of our room, but it was soooo gorgeous! I only got a good shot of the bathroom shower. The picture doesn't do it justice at all....

Yes, I've updated the blog!!

2008-04-17T21:47:00.003-04:00

Let's not all try and make comments about how long it's been since I've posted....blogging is annoying and you all know it! (and by "all" I mean my sisters!)

Went to Port Discovery kids museum in downtown Baltimore with my friend La Nae and her daughter Kaylin. The kids LOVE the place....and La Nae & I love her free year pass! ;)

Ethan's so proud of his artwork :)

The most kissable baby....

Such a chunk!

Playing pirates in the inner harbor...Kailyn's a good sport - she'd MUCH rather be playing a princess game! Captain of the pirate ship!

Thanks Mom!!!

2008-02-25T13:15:00.004-05:00

My mom watched Ethan & Spencer while we were gone and we all miss her dearly now! :( She's such an amazing Grandma....she took great care of the kids, got up in the middle of the night (SEVERAL times) to deal with Spence, kept the house spottless, AND bought our groceries! ;) Thanks so much mom.

We miss you!!

Cayman Islands!!!!

2008-02-13T19:56:00.008-05:00

We took a much needed vacation with our friends Shana and Matt.... It was relaxing, fun, amazing....and just so wonderful to spend time with some of our closest friends.

DELICIOUS dinner at the restaurant at our hotel. Definitely some of the best seafood we've tried.

Big man with a little spoon ;) Shana likes to give the "piggy nose" to Matt??? ;)

Great pic - too bad it's in an elevator!!!??

Matt, trying to take on an itsy-bitsy turtle.....retirement has made you SOFT!!!! ;)

Actually, it wasn't too little. Really big....probably weighed 200 lbs??!

I reeeeeally tried, but the sliminess of the turtles just was too much for me. Wuss, I know.....hiding behind Zack!

My hubby is such a good sport. He plays what I like to call "The Food Game" where I mix a bunch of gross things together (I think here it was tobasco, ketchup, mayo, A1....and a few more but I can't remember. He closes his eyes and then.....

Sucks it down....yuck.

Yummy sushi place

We rented a car and drove around the island. I was amazed that Zack could drive on the LEFT side of the road. It was definitely way more thinking than I could handle ;)

I'm a total slacker

2008-01-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

With a capital S....The holidays were just really busy and I had no time....blah blah blah. I could go on and on....but we're BACK! ;) So this will be a realllly long one, updating you on what's-a-goin-on (watch "Rock of Love"....you'll get it) Here goes......

Visited Grandpa in Ohio

SUCH a crazy trip. We left at 6am on Saturday morning, drove 7 HOURS, spent the night in downtown Mansfield (one of the creepiest places ever!) and left the next day around noon for the 7 hour drive back to Maryland. We're nuts, I know....but we wanted Gramps to meet Spencer. It was crazy, but really fun.

My mom & Ethan after a carousel ride

Did I mention it was a 7 HOUR drive???!! With a newborn??! Yikes. Poor Zack was exhausted.... unfortunately, Spencer wasn't ;)

Remembering Grandma Burke

Baltimore Highlands Elementary School, where Pam worked, planted a tree and plaque in her memory. They had a little ceremony where some of the kids she taught sang and talked about how much she meant to them. It was a very sweet thing to do! I'm constantly amazed at how many lives Pam touched!!

Zack thanked everyone for being there and gave a cute talk to the kiddies. He is SUCH a good public speaker!!

They wanted Ethan to help dig the hole.

The finished product :)

I'm 30!! :(

And if you know me, you know I HATE surprise birthday parties (thanks Mom! ;) so what does my husband decide to do? Throw me one....of course. Anyway, after realizing I couldn't escape (he rented out the upstairs section of a restaurant - I was literally trapped!!) I surrendered and actually had a GREAT birthday. Thanks to everyone that came! And of course, thanks to my hubby for a surprisingly wonderful night!

I'm all like "Wait....is this really happening?!?! Cuz you know I hate surprises right?" ;) Thanks for the thoughtful presents!!! He pulled it off!! Shana, Nichole, Lisa, Ryane and me.....the only one not in her 20's anymore!!??

Thanksgiving in San Diego

We visited my family in California this year for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas. Going places with 27 people is a little scary, but we had a blast! And Ethan LOVED playing with all 86 of his cousins ;)

Grandpa Bob with Taylor & Bailey at Sea World Most of the grandkids....the others were running wild in the park somewhere. It's tough to keep track of all of 'em!! Delicious thanksgiving dinner at Jenny's house (Heather - wish you were in this pic!!?) Dad & Ethan frollicking in the not-so-warm water

My sweet little neice, Claire, with Spencer. I wish they could talk. So she could explain to Spencer how happy mommy would be if he'd just sleep through the night like her!

Ethan, Porter & Taylor at the Zoo

Too many to name

And, we got to squeeze in a Chargers v Ravens game. Thanks Jen & Kris for taking us! And thanks mom, Meg & Liz for watching my baby who won't take a bottle....sooo sorry! :(

Pictures with Santa!

This could be one of the worst Santa pictures ever taken....

Mmmmkay, getting a little better.....sorta.

And here's Ethan telling Santa what he wanted for Christmas: a gun & a sword. Ready, all at once: Aaawwwwwww ;)

Should Spence be nervous??

2007-11-16T21:59:00.000-05:00

First of all, you have to know that Spencer smiles constantly....he is a happy baby boy. But when Ethan comes around, he suddenly freezes up and his smile turns into a frown! :( The below picture is a scene played out at our house at least 10 times a day.... Ethan, looking like he's ready to attack and Spencer frantically looking for me to save him!!

"Back aWAY from the baby!"

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-11-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

Since Ethan is OBSESSED with Star Wars, we went with the obvious choice for costumes: Yoda & a Stormtrooper. Ethan got waaaay too much candy this year (so I was basically forced to confiscate half of it for myself ;)

Happy, Spencer is....

Zack, with the three most popular items in our household at the moment: Spencer, the binky & the baby bjorn!!

Stormtrooper Ethan and Transformer Kolby!

Our predictable family photo.....I seriously need some new poses!! :)

Eating way too much candy + Staying up past his bedtime = A nasty Halloween meltdown!!

Beautiful Fall Day

2007-10-28T10:35:00.001-04:00

After 3 straight days of rain, Saturday was gorgeous! We took a trip downtown to walk around the Inner Harbor.

Superdad ;)

Nighty-night Spence

Throwing flames and riding a unicycle all at once! Craziness!!!

Ethan did NOT want to leave the cannons!!

We found an Oktoberfest celebration going on and kinda slipped in unnoticed. A free party..... somewhere my mom's very proud ;)

E had fun on the moonbounce.... And blowing bubbles..... And with his dad/clone :) Me & the beefcakes

Kinda boring

2007-10-26T13:39:00.000-04:00

Not much going on in our house today. It's been raining for two days straight. (Wish that rain was in California, instead of here!!!) But Ethan looked cute in his Halloween shirt, so I snapped a picture before preschool. That's all for now!!

Always the goofball..... :)

Pamela Burke 5k

2007-10-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

Today was a special one. The school my mother-in-law used to work for held a 5k race in honor of her memory. They raised over $8,000 for breast cancer research! We all had a great time, celebrating the life of such an amazing woman...

Zack got up and thanked everyone for being there.... his mom's so proud! :)

Opening ceremonies

They had Zack cut the ribbon to start the walk

The Orioles Bird showed up!

Zack, me, Ethan & Spencer

They're going to place this tree and plaque in the garden of the elementary school. So sweet.....

Matt and Abby....his girrrrrrrrrrlfriend (as Ethan likes to put it) ;)

Pam's sister, Susan and niece, Melissa holding my chunky baby

We did it!

Ethie snuggling with his pink bear

Ummm.....

2007-10-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

So after smelling the distinct smell of baby powder throughout the house, and not hearing or seeing Ethan for about 10 minutes I began to worry......... He was having a sand battle with his beloved Star Wars action figures. Yep. Look at the poor guy in the middle. The battle was so intense he lost a limb! My kid doesn't mess around.....

I'll try this out.....

2007-10-17T20:11:00.000-04:00

I really wanna write a cute, witty description for my first post, but it's not possible. Baby's crying, Ethan's whining cuz he's reallllly tired..... So this is what you get - Ethan holding Spencer. That's all I can offer right now....nothing more. Gotta go rock a little bug to sleep and then go to sleep myself. Lame, I know. It'll get better......I promise!!!