4th of July

Just because I haven't posted in forever, and because I emailed a couple of pictures to myself, so they're actually on the computer that I use, here are a few cute shots from the 4th of July at the Penna family reunion in Buffalo! We really wanted to get some pictures of them smiling in their patriotic outfits. Well... at least we got pictures of their patriotic outfits.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find our camera, so shots on our Blackberries were the best we could do. I'll have to start uploading pictures onto a computer I actually use regularly, so we can share the cute shots!

Trying to get Katie and Rocco to SMILE!

Chaos ensues.

Rocco looks bemused at the whole photo session.
The "big girls" were watching a game of frisbee tag, and Katie wanted to join in. Here she is with David's cousin Kristen.

Late April

Mom is going back to work on Monday! We have been having fun this past week, getting to know Katie and Rocco's new nanny, Angelina, and playing a lot.

Katie and Rocco and Mommy visited Dad's office and the Museum of Natural History last week. Katie liked the dinosaurs and fossils and Rocco (busy, off camera) had a nice ride in the Ergo.

Katie was especially impressed with this guy. Apologies for the flash!

Checking out the fossils. Next up on the agenda: lunch! Katie's favorite part of the museum. The museum was free, and a sandwich and chocolate milk was $18, so I guess we came out even. Next time, perhaps a brown bag would be in order. Good thing I brought lunch for Katie and Rocco!

Rocco's getting really close to crawling. But first, he loves to stand on Dad's toes and dance with his big sister.

Last, the most exciting part of the week: Katie and Mommy went and got manicures together. Katie picked out her own nail polish ("PURPLE! That's my favorite color!"), charmed all of the workers and all of the customers and held very still while her polish dried. Nancy, our very patient manicurist, not only polished Katie's nails, but then painted tiny white flowers on each nail. Katie was in heaven. A wonderful finish to our last week before I go back to work.

Waiting patiently for our appointment.
Practicing her holding still skills.
All done and all smiles! If you look very closely, you can see the little flowers on her nails. I'll have to take a close up shot tomorrow.
Happily waiting for our nails to dry (Katie showing off her fanciest smile). And here is a picture of my new haircut - I got about 6 inches cut off this week.

Suburban bliss

We are still loving Virginia! Suburban life definitely agrees with us.

First, flower planting. Katie got her very own pair of gloves, and decided that she needed to wear her rain boots for the occasion.

She has a very tiny flower pot, into which she carefully placed approximately 10000 seeds. So when that thing starts blooming, look out world.
Rocco is starting to sit up on his own, but sometimes a pillow and a Daddy and Katie help out, too.

David, showing off that he still has the touch in the self-portrait area.
Katie has been very interested in taking pictures. Here is one of her latest masterpieces.
Finally, it's been pollen-ing like crazy around here, so Daddy decided it was time to wash the cars. (Note the lawnmower in the back of this picture - seriously domestic stuff going on here!)
Rocco and Indy and I went for a little walk, and when we came back, the most important car was getting a wash, too.
Rocco thought the whole affair was hilarious.

And Daddy helped to rinse everything off. Katie was emulating his every move. When he stepped on the tailgate to wash the top of his car, Katie stepped into her own car to wash the blue handle.
Next up, I'll be reporting on the Tupperware parties I plan to throw and the Jello molds I plan to make!

Move to Virginia and Easter

We're loving life here in Alexandria! We had a great Easter last weekend. Katie picked out her own Easter Bonnet, of which she was quite proud. We had a great day, and the weather was beautiful. Katie even got to participate in several fun egg hunts over the weekend.

Showing off the finery (note the shiny silver shoes)

I can't figure out how to zoom in on this picture, but here's the whole crew!
The Easter Bunny at Easter brunch loved Katie. He kept coming back to give her more candy and high fives. Rocco looks semi-horrified at the whole thing. He's thinking "just give me more of those mashed peas, mom. I don't need any candy."
Katie kept up a healthy diet at brunch.

1. Bacon dipped in whipped cream
2. Lollipop, courtesy of Mr. E. Bunny
3. Cupcake
Post-brunch with Dad
... and Mom!
Katie got to search for eggs in our front yard. It's fun to have a front yard (and a back yard, too). We love it.
The loot!

Last, a non-Easter picture. Katie helped mom make some homemade pasta last week. She is always a great cook.

This n that

We'll just skip right over the first few months of the year because, well, we're never going to get caught up. Here are some fun pictures from February and March.

Katie and Rocco celebrating Mardi Gras. I've turned into Supercool Mom - buying Mardi Gras beads at JoAnn Fabric. Party at the Penna House!

Grandma and Grandpa Henn pay a visit to Chicago. Katie LOVES her book about Doctor Dan the Band-aid Man. She is very good at giving everyone band-aids.
And Rocco smiles and giggles.
Silly time with Daddy
Katie riding on her trike - and looking cool!
Rocco tries his first solid foods. Note him grabbing for the spoon. He is a big fan of ALL food!
Katie and Rocco love.
Katie's last day of school at Creme de la Creme. She loved it there, and we were sad to say goodbye, but she's already started in a great new school in Virginia!

Florida trip

In early December we took a semi-impromptu trip to Orlando. We decided it was our best family trip ever. Everyone had a great time. The weather was perfect, and we loved the place we stayed (a Marriott condo community type place, with lots of pools and a couple of restaurants, located close to lots of attractions).

The only Orlando-specific thing we did was a visit to Sea World. That was really cool - we had a dinner with Shamu. Our seats were RIGHT in front of where he leaps out of the water. Really neat if you're 35, but not so much if you're 2. We left the dinner a little early to avoid scarring Katie for life with images of a giant killer whale lunging at her.

Katie was our navigator.

Riding on a real ride! Katie did it once with Dad, and then rode all by herself!

Even navigators need a little break.

Highlights of the dinner with Shamu. The food was terrible, but Katie loved the blue jello!

Shamu - maybe a little better from a distance.
Shamu - up close and personal, in front of our table.

Pool time! Katie is always prepared!

Rocco loved hanging out, poolside.

What's a vacation without a huge ice cream sundae??

Baby Stella came along on the trip. And Katie is showing off her fancy pen from Sea World - with a fuzzy top!