End of March

As the weather got better, we spent more and more time outside.

Our friends Elizabeth and Nick visited for late morning brunch.  Nathaniel and Auggie played outside while Ella slept through most of the visit.

 In the afternoon, we met up with the cousins for a few fun hours in the park.  At some point, all kids (age 1-9!) were digging in the sandbox.

The next week, we did an (almost) spontaneous trip to Stinson Beach.  The weather was a little chilly when we started (in the morning), but the kids did not mind and by noon, it was warm enough to get wet.  It was our first trip to the beach this year, and Auggie gleefully ran onto the sand as soon as he saw it.  Ella did not know what to make of this very large sandbox and the incredible roaring ocean in front of her.

That afternoon, the much awaited arrival of Giggy and Keggy finally came.  Auggie had been excited all week.  Ella took to her grandparents almost immediately and was happily sitting in Jacci's lap within an hour. 

The next day, we went to Babcia and Dziadek's house for a whole family welcome dinner for Jacci and Keith.  It must have been a long weekend for everyone, since the kids started the afternoon off by quietly drawing together.

 

Ella is 14 months old!

This little cutie has an emerging personality.  She loves wearing hats - though not as much as she loves putting them on and taking them off.  She is now permanently attached to her pacifier and she will only use a specific brand and make, which is no longer available to buy...so her 4 remaining pacifiers are quite precious in our household.  When we tried to sneak in the replacement (same brand, shape and color, but the silicone is a tiny bit thicker), she placed it in her mouth, took it out several times and looked at it, then threw it into the recycling bin.  This kid has standards. 

Ella loves going outdoors. She will often stand next to the door and point, making urgent noises requesting us to open the front door. She smiles proudly and wiggles happily whenever her requests are granted.  When outside, she loves playing at the water table or picking up little rocks and sharing them with us. 

First half of March

We started off of March with an early birthday gift for Auggie: a trip to Disney on Ice.  He wore an adorable Olaf hat and loved the shiny wand he received.  We all had a great time!  (Ella stayed home with Babcia and both report many, many giggles.)

The next day, we had Auggie's two besties from school come over for brunch with their families.  There were 3 preschoolers and 3 toddlers...and the adults still had some nice time to talk and catch up.

Auggie loves the colors pink, purple and red and asked for some clothing with those colors for his birthday.  We found this shirt and thought it was perfect for him.

Guess who's getting into doing puzzles?? (Agnieszka is so excited!)
(And no, he did not do that by himself...but we had a great time doing it together.)

And here's an a cute picture of Auggie and Maya at their school's International Fest: