JP's First Time Ice Skating

JP LOVES watching hockey on television, and lately he's been pretending to "skate" around on the carpet. So, I asked him the other day if he wanted to put skates on his feet and go ice skating. He said "YES!"

So, off we went to an ice rink a few miles away to see if he'd actually try skating. He has a stubborn streak (must be from his dad :) ), so I was prepared for him to completely refuse to put the skates on and go back home. He was a little hesitant to put them on at first, but once they were on, he was ready to go.

Jason stayed with Luke on the sidelines, and I put skates on to help JP. I was shocked at how well he did. He actually kept his balance on the blades while I held one of his hands and pulled him around. He went through a few minutes of falling on the ice, because he thought it was hysterical, but my back was breaking!! Then, we picked up one of these little plastic things that kids can push to help them learn.

Once he got on one of these, he didn't want me touching him anymore. He was walking/skating, and getting his bearings on the ice by himself. I was so proud of our little coordinated guy!!!!

I think we're going to have to buy this boy some skates!

This was all on Monday. It's Wednesday and he WILL NOT let us take off his little paper bracelet from the ice rink. I think it's going to have to fall off...

LaRae's Visit

My cousin, LaRae, visited us a few weeks ago. She left her chaotic household in Ohio to join my chaotic household for a long weekend. Since she has four little ones, our house *might* have been a little less crazy than what she's used to. I hope she at least got some sleep :)

We took one day to drive North to Rockport and take in the Fall colors and the coast - and of course, all the trendy, little shops the town boasts. LaRae wheeled-and-dealed with a local artist and scored four original paintings for her daughters' bedroom (well, two of them were for the girls) - I'm sure they will be thrilled with their fancy bedroom once it's finished.

Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Rockport:

On our way home, we stopped at the Westwood Tot Lot to run off some extra steam:

Luke Has Another Secret...

Because he can't talk (yet), Luke likes to communicate through his clothing:

A Few Pictures

Just a few shots of the boys this morning rolling around on JP's new rug.

Where's Waldo?


Where's Waldo #2?

Time for the Buckles

I think it's time we buckle Luke into the bouncy chair:




Please ignore the room's disarray...

Trees Down, Lights Out

Saturday, we experienced our first Nor'Easter of the season. What's a Nor'Easter? Who knows! All I know is that it rained and SNOWED in October...unacceptable! Our power was out for almost 24 hours, which wouldn't have been a huge deal except it was cold outside and we didn't have heat (or hot water for a shower) ... so it got a little hairy. We almost booked a hotel room when the power came back on. Thank Goodness!!

Lots of trees were knocked down - one of our neighbors' car was smashed - and I believe there are some areas in Massachusetts and New Hampshire that still don't have power. Our subdivision in Alabama had the right idea by burying all the power lines underground. We never lost power there, even through the hurricanes.

Luke and I hung out by the fire to stay warm while JP napped:

Here's how our backyard made out:

We are very fortunate they didn't hit the house...they don't look that heavy, but they are!

Happy Halloween

Because of a storm Saturday, our town decided to postpone trick-or-treating until Thursday night because some people are still out of power and there are fallen trees all over the place - lame, IMHO. This Thursday BC plays Florida State, so Jason won't be home, so we ventured out to Dedham, a neighboring town, to let JP do some candy collecting with Daddy present.

He was NOT thrilled to put on his Frankenstein costume, despite my efforts to find a minimally invasive costume. I knew he wouldn't wear a mask or anything like that, so when I found this Frankenstein costume was nothing more than a lightweight felt top and bottoms, I thought he wouldn't notice. WRONG! I think we have the most particular 2-year-old there is! But, with some Kit Kat bribery and distractions, we got him suited up and headed out.

The first couple houses, he tried to push pass the people and walk IN! hahaha! The next couple houses, he wanted to stand on their porch and eat the candy they gave him right then and there. By about the sixth or seventh house, he was getting the hang of it and even shouting "THANK YOU!" to the candy givers. He enjoyed trying some new sugary treats but his favorites remain Kit Kats and Hershey Bars. He was on a serious sugar high last night, but after some intense hockey playing, he crashed into his crib without incident.

Come Thursday, the boys and I will hang here and pass out the glowsticks I bought. I hope the neighborhood kids don't think we're lame for not buying candy this year and enjoy the glowsticks! I guess we'll see if our house or cars get egged or not...

Our scary family - Mommy, Daddy, Frankenstein and Frankie Baby:
Take Two:
Not Thrilled:

First House:
Costume Shot:
Leading the Way:
And for fun, JP on the left/Luke on the right:

Luke Has A Secret...

Can you guess what it is?!

The Boys' First Pumpkin

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, neither Jason nor I have ever (personally) carved a pumpkin. I'm sure our parents did, but not being the artistic sort, we've always left our pumpkins uncarved - if we've even purchased one. BUT, being parents makes you do new things, so Jason broke out a sharpie and one of my new Forever Sharp paring knives and headed outside for a time of father-son bonding and adventure.

Jason displaying his outline, with some uncertainty:

Precision and focus are key:

"Hey, I think I can do this!"

Where is JP during this father/son bonding time, you ask? Well, cutting into a pumpkin wasn't near as exciting as sitting by the road to watch the cars pass:

He still kept an eye on Daddy, albeit from across the yard:

Like a moth to a flame...literally:

Fascinated by the fire:

INTRODUCING (insert drumroll here)...The First Loscalzo Family Pumpkin!

There were no cuts, burns, curse words, tantrums, blood or tears. I'd call that a success!

Mr. Pivot and the Bouncing Boys

Luke is about to take off crawling...as soon as he figures out how to lift himself onto his knees. Until then, he is getting around the room quite efficiently with a combination of rolling and belly pivots. I caught him spinning on his belly a few days ago, but since I shot this video, he has gotten a lot quicker! I think we have another "gross motor" kid on our hands!

Not one to miss out on some fun, JP pulled up his Rody pony next to Luke's jumperoo to enjoy some brotherly bouncing.

Boo at the Zoo

While Jason is away playing Virginia Tech today, JP, Luke and I made our way to Stoneham, MA, to visit the Stone Zoo with our friends, Alison, William and Evelyn. Sadly, because of a frazzled mommy traveling with two kids and poor GPS directions, we ended up being over an hour late - but we were finally able to catch up with our friends to take in some wild animal viewing.

JP and Will had a blast holding hands, yelling, laughing, running and throwing leaves. I think they noticed a monkey and maybe a bear, but other than that, they were just content to be outside. (Let's hope they are always this easy to please!) The Zoo was hosting "Boo at the Zoo" with a scavenger hunt, treats and other special activities, none of which we participated in, LOL! Although, JP and Will did enjoy a couple snacks from the trick-or-treat tables.

Sidenote: Why is it that my picky-eating child will open a tootsie roll and pop it in his mouth without hesitation after never seeing one before, yet when I present him with some chicken or God-forbid a vegetable, he won't even taste it? Is it the wrapper? Should I wrap up a carrot with a pack of M&M's? Will he try it then? Can a two-year-old suffer from only ingesting peanut butter and jelly for a year? I digress...

Here are a couple pictures from the day :)

Checking out a "big kitty cat":

Will loves the camera:
The tiger was getting some sun:
Holding hands while exploring:

Yelling is HYSTERICAL:

Rainy Day Fun

Wednesday was rainy, so I needed to think of something new to occupy JP indoors after nap time. After some thinking, I grabbed a sheet and showed him how to make a tent! He loved it, and even invited Luke to play inside his secret quarters..

Who's in there???
Peek-A-Boo!!!
Looks like Mickey Mouse was also granted admission into the fortress!