Jack's head just exploded

Well not literally of course....

but he was the most excited I've ever seen 

him when we went to 

"A Day out with Thomas" in Strasburg Pennsylvania. 

There was a gazillion little boys and girls there all waiting to take a train ride to nowhere on the life size Thomas.  

And 2 gazillion parents that will do anything to make their kids as happy as we were making Jack. 

Here is Emma confused as to why she isn't eating for the 40th time that day.

These pictures of the "Deseils" blew Jack's mind.  

To get him to turn and look at the camera was a loosing battle so we let him drool and stare .

We made sure we got online early in order to get a good seat.   Jack got to sit right near the window and wave to all the people as we rode by.   

Emma enjoyed herself also by chewing on whatever we 

would give her.

We drove past all the farms with cows and 

Amish people with their horses.  

Every time jack saw a horse he yelled "like bullseye" Which if your not up on your Disney/Pixar films is from Toy Story 3.

And here's THOMAS!!!

I'll start by explaining why it looks like were 

trapped in a fish net.  

Thomas comes into the station and while he's unloading and loading passengers we have 10 minutes to get the opportunity to run and shove our way towards the front of the train where they have 3 stations set up for pictures in front of the 

Great Thomas.  

However if you don't mommy push your way up to the front in the 10 minutes alotted then you get trapped in the mesh maze until the train takes it's trip and comes back to the station....which is 22 minutes.  Okay for those that lost me or is bad at math that's 32 minutes wait time if you don't get up to 

the front first.  

Lets just say that keeping a toddler in a line and occupied for 32 minutes was something I wouldn't wish on my 

worst enemy.   

But THANK GOD we got the picture we came for.  

Where am I you may be wondering (no I'm not crying in the car) I'm standing behind the photographer bribing my 2 year old that if he looked at the camera for 1 millisecond he'll get a prize. Bam! and here's the shot. 

Then we proceeded to wait on another line to see Sir Topem Hatt who was going on lunch minutes after we finally got to see him. 

And Jack spent most of the time looking up at him lovingly telling him that he was taking care of Thomas and Clarabelle, just in case he was worried.  

I actually thought it was too sweet. 

Emma's also looking at him, but it's only to see if he has food, unfortunately Sir Topem Hatt doesn't have a bottle of milk in that suit so we moved on. 

We enjoyed a lunch at the Red Caboose Resturant which was really cute.  Everything was all about trains.  Part of the restaurant is actually in a train car. And since it was right along the rail road Thomas drove by every 10 minutes. And Jack's face would light up every time like it was the first. 

Then it was nap time for everyone.

The next stop on our weekend of "Jack" was Sesame place.  Again Jack saw two of his idols right off the bat and got to take pictures with them.  

But once more we had to be patient and wait in line for our turn.  

Jack danced around like his pants were on fire until it was his turn and then.....I had to push him towards Cookie Monster and Super Grover.  

But he went and he had such a huge grin on his face when they hugged him. 

Believe it or not this is a "smile".  

Jack waving to Chris from the Carasoul.  The look on his face every time he went around and saw Chris was awesome.  He was having so much fun. 

Emma hung out and watched her big brother have his day. I know one day we'll be having breakfast with the Disney Princesses and Jack will have to sit through it like Emma did that day. 

But until then she's happy to give him the spotlight. 

I swear Chris is not a huge creepster and riding this alone. If you look very closely Jack is on it too. 

We were also first in line to watch Elmo's world live.  I learned from the previous day that I'm going to have to be a little bit crazy mama to get to be first in line and up front, so that's what I did.  I waited in line with Emma while Jack and Chris played until it was time to watch the show. He was so so so excited to see Elmo. 

Emma even woke up half way through to enjoy Elmo.

Then at the end of the day we let Jack pick out a prize for himself and his sister and in the end, well, all the prizes were for him because he was not letting either one go.  

This was Jack's weekend.  

To wake up both mornings to tell him that he was going to see these characters that make him so very happy was amazing.  

All the money, time and line waiting was so worth it when we saw the smile on his face...and really, that what life's about.

Emma's 5 Months Old!

Gosh, every time I write Emma's birthday post it completely amazes me how fast time goes. 

Not like she's 15 or anything but she's been here for 5 months already and I feel like I just met her yesterday. 

Her personality is coming out more and more everyday and what a personality it is! 

She's very vocal, not asking for a cup of coffee vocal but she loves to squeal all the time.  

If she's happy, sad or bored she'll squeal.  

It's awesome when we're in restaurants.  

She's still got chubbs of chubbs and I love it.  

She's so strong and healthy and if that means squeezing her big girl body in 6-9 month clothing so be it. 

She wants to move so much like her big brother that she'll try to launch herself from our laps onto the floor...

again awesome in restaurants. 

She's lifting her entire upper half off the floor and then she'll mush her face into the rug and lift up her butt as high as she can get it but she hasn't figured out how to do 

both at the same time.  

And that's a-ok with me because I have a strong feeling once she figures it out, she's gone and we're in BIG trouble. 

She's still smiling like a crazy person.

And for those who were keeping track of her sleep depravation training techniques let me tell you.....She was defeated!  She's finally sleeping through the night and I'm finally looking (and feeling) less and less like death everyday.

  

She's such a great little girl and I'm not saying that because she's my fabulous daughter, I'm saying that because she will always smile at the old lady in the supermarket and 

giggle when you play peek-a-boo.  

I love watching her learn and figure out life, 

then I love watching her drift off in my arms before bed. 

I couldn't ask for anything more.....except SOME FRIGGIN' HAIR!!!  

Thomas, we have a problem...

This post is dedicated to my son's addiction...

Thomas the Train.

Okay, Okay, I know what your going to say...how bad could an addiction to an imaginary talking train be?  

IT'S BAD!!!

I've been scouring the Internet looking for a 

TTA group to put my son in. 

Oh what is TTA?

Thomas the Train Anonymous.

I've never seen a little boy so obsessed with anything more in his entire life. 

Once I tested this phenomenon. 

I bought him a train for Easter and it wasn't a train that was(to my knowledge at the time, I know better now) popular in the tv series and all I did was hand it to him, he took one look at that tiny face on the front of the train and exclaimed "EDWARD!"

To us uneducated adults even though they may be the same color and all the faces may look the same to my completely obsessed toddler they look as different as your mother and father. 

As soon as we mention a car ride to the store, a dinner plate on the table or a mid day nap Jack scoops up as many trains as his little chubby hands can hold and brings them 

wherever he needs to go.

It's a borderline talent that he can hold as many as 7 trains at a time. 

 We have so many trains that whenever we go anywhere we need to put them into another container to travel with them or we will fight with an epic melt down.

Lines them up, makes them go through a tunnel, drives them across a bridge, talks to them before he puts his head down to sleep, whichever way he plays with them he treats them like friends. 

 Like our education system we have a similar program in our house, it's called "No Train Left Behind"

If one goes rouge we'll spend much of our free time to search for them.  Looking under the couch, in the car or calling to see if they're at Mema's house is something Chris and I have done many, many  times. We even have a train roll call at the end of the night to make sure that come morning Jack isn't asking for the only train that's missing. 

And how do we handle this addiction?

We go to Strasbourg Pennsylvania next Saturday to spend the day with the real live Thomas the Train!  Jack is going to fall over as soon as he sees the life size Thomas and even take a ride on him.  I can't wait to feed my son's insatiable hunger for these trains next weekend because I know the moment he sets his eyes on Thomas will be the best moment of my two year olds life.

I'm positive that we'll come back a few trains heavier and a few dollars lighter. 

And even though these trains could be the reason why we're late to go see Thomas on Saturday I still love that Chris and I are fortunate enough to give Jack this gift. 

Jesus is Emma's Homeboy

Last Sunday we hosted Emma's Baptism. 

Days like this I always freak out the night before that I'm going to show up at the church and have gotten the date wrong, or go to the restaurant with a small army of people and they won't have my reservation correct, or worse....

forget to match my shoes to my handbag. 

All legitimate concerns in my opinion.

But I thank baby Jesus none of that happened and 

we had a wonderful day.

  We started with the tradition of 

the Godmother dressing Emma.  

I couldn't be more grateful to have a friend like Steph.  We've known each other since sixth grade and at times she knows me better then I know myself.  So It was a no brainer when I had to choose a Godmother for Emma. She's been amazing to me and my children and I know she will be in my family until we're crotchidy old ladies. 

So I asked her to be the Godmother of Emma.

Emma is wearing me and my sister's christening gown which means that it's 32 years old.  My mother kept it in such great condition and I can't wait to pass it on to 

Emma's babies one day. 

Since Emma STILL HAS NO hair (ugh!)I went out and bought $30 worth of headbands.  

We settled on a white headband with a bow as big as her large Irish head for the ceremony.  

 And since the church ceremony wasn't the attention grabber that Jack expected he got to watch Elmo with his cousins.

 Emma did better then Jack did at his Christening. Which doesn't say much because Jack screamed his head 

off during his baptism 

This must have been this Decon's first Baptism because he seemed very nervous and poured Holy water in Emma's eye. 

But she handled it like a woman and we all carried on.

 Yet another family photo where only one of us is even turned towards the camera.

 Here is us with Steph and Chris' cousin Sean 

who we asked to be Emma's God Father. 

He and his wife Justine bought Emma the perfect silver cross that she wore all day and will be able to have as a keepsake.  

 Okay we have 3 of us looking at the camera....getting better.

Emma, Me and Aunt Steph 

Emma, Aunt Steph and Sean 

Aunt Lauren, Emma and Mario 

Mae, Mae and Emma 

MeMa, Papa and Emma

 Since the ceremony took place during Jacks' nap time he fell asleep in the car and was put to 

sleep on the restaurant floor.

And if you look closely the price tag is still on Jack's belt...mom of the year right here! 

All of Grandma Barabara's grandchildren.   

It's been years since all my cousins were together in one place and felt good to be able to 

give my Grandma this picture. 

Aunt Lauren giving Emma some Love 

My Grandma Albina, her children, her grandchildren
and her great grandchildren. 

 I only wish I can be as lucky as my Grandma Albina to have 

this much love around me one day. 

Since Emma is quite the Diva we did an costume change.  

Another tradition is for the Godmother to buy the gown and since we used my gown for the ceremony Steph bought Emma a beautiful gown for the party and she chose a cute pick rose for her hair.

When we put Emma in her Christening gown Chris turned to me and said, next time she's in a white dress 

will be at her wedding....

 That gave me goosebumps. 

Emma and Her Godparents

 Pictures like this touch me.  

They aren't staged or forced, it shows real love and emotion and I'm grateful to have been able to catch this moment in a picture.

 One day my babies will be all grown up and life happens quickly and I'll have photos like 

this to look back at. 

Sophia giving Jack some love 

Grandma Barbara and Grandma Albina
and their Great Grand daughter. 

After the entire day was over, Chris and I looked at each other and let out a big sigh that we did it.  We threw a nice party and  got our family and friends together to celebrate our baby girl.