Monday, December 28, 2015

First Christmas on Birch


It was our first Christmas in our new house.  I have to say it was all magical except our outside lights, which lacked a bit, but it will be better next year! 
We had two trees (fake ones) this year, one upstairs to be seen out the window and one downstairs so Santa could bring presents down there and we could open there with more space and have our tv fire going.  The kids were spoiled per the usual, between Santa and grandparents they were hooked up!

Christmas Eve was spent with just our family, all other friends has places to go this year, so no traditional Christmas Eve party, which in all honesty was pretty sad.  But we made the most of it and had a lovely meal, read a Christmas story and watched Home Alone with the kids.  It was low key and actually, really nice.  Christmas morning, Berke slept until 7 and then we all got up and went to see what Santa had delivered. 



Berke's favorite presents included: magic kit, telescope, Scooby Doo Legos, Darth Vader and Sons book, Spy Gear Kit, awesome Minion and Star Wars PJs.
Vivi's favorite presents include: castle tent, box of bows, beanie boo, and trains.

Christian got an expresso maker, a warm jacket and few other necessities. 
I received this lovely sign for out house, some awesome cordless headphones and a device to hold my phone for when I drive around town.



Christmas day was wonderful, the kids opened presents and Nana and Papa Sorrels Facetimed so they could see the kids open presents.  Vivi was afraid of her life sized Elmo but has now learned to love him so much.  Berke's very favorite present FURBACCA has been driving us all nuts, but is pretty cute so we will keep him!  We stayed in our PJs the entire day, ate monkey bread, cheese ball and delicious salmon for dinner.  We watched movies, did a puzzle, played with toys and ate food the whole day.  It was pretty perfect.  Our new house is so wonderful and has plenty of space for us all to just be and enjoy each other. 
Christmas was another success this year; both kids still believe in Santa and the magic was real.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Vivienne turns TWO!

 OH MY!  What a difference a year makes!  I cannot believe how much this girls has changed over the past year.  She is fiercely independent, has lots of beautiful red hair, is extremely polite, loves to snuggle, started daycare and is picking up Portuguese, loves dogs, trains, Elmo, and Mickey Mouse.  Viv loves to play with her bro bro, but is now learning how to be a bit sassy and tease him.  
Viv can be shy, but once she knows you she is the life of the party.  Her little voice melts my heart and I can understand most of what she is saying.  She loves to play legos and blocks and build things.  She also loves her babies and takes good care of them.  
This birthday we gave her a baby and a carriage to push them around.
 Papa Taft got her a train table which is a big hit!  Except that she doesn't want to share with bro bro, so that hasn't gone too well.
 This sweet pea is a total ham and posed for this picture when I told her to, "Say Cheese!"


 We love this little red headed two year old and feel like the luckiest people in the world to have her be part of our family!  XOXO Vivienne!



 Vivi and her pal "Baby Rosie"
 Always love from Auntie G and Aunt Steffie.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Christmas Festivities

We LOVE this time of year!  It's been crazy warm around here this December, hitting 60 degrees in the middle of the month.  
We have enjoyed making Christmas candy and delivering to our neighbors, going into Boston to walk around Quincy Market and see BLINK, the Christmas Light Show.  We watched the Polar Express in the theater while sipping on hot chocolate, visited Santa and Berke and I even went to the Nutcracker for the first time together this year.  It's been busy, but super fun and hectic.  
I love getting into the spirit of the season and experiencing so many fun things as a family, but sometimes it is SO exhausting with everything else that has to get done.  Not to mention two kiddos birthdays that are coming up soon.  
I love the kids at these ages, Christmas is still magical, Berke still believes in Santa and Vivi has no idea what Santa does but she sure does love him!  She ran right up to him and hugged him 3 times now, this girl is not afraid of the jolly ole fellow!
Berke loves his friend, Charlotte, they have known each other since birth and they just love being together!

We found THE COOLEST TREE!  Can you see it?  Do you see the Grinch trying to steal the tree?  We thought it was awesome!
These two love each other so much when they are not teasing the other one!

Look how adorable my family is!!! I love this family of mine SO much, it makes my heart want to burst.  Happy Holidays!

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Halloween in our new hood

We had a ghostbuster and Miss Stawberry Shortcake this year as our costumes.  
Grandma Gentry made Vivi's costume and it is really TO. DIE. FOR!!  It is the cutest thing ever and I wish I could put her in it every single day!
Berke's face in this picture cracks me up.  He can pose a smile to save his life.  What a crack up!
Our Trick O Treating Gang!  It's a pretty cute crew if I do say so myself.

Miss Viv loved getting candy.  She was insistent on putting the candy in her bag herself; this is not surprising given her independent personality,
Mr. McDuff was a hit as a ghostbuster as well.
It was nice to be in a quite safe neighborhood to trick or treat.  The kids got lots of yummy candy and had a great night.  Lucky for us the weather was good and we didn't even add the jacket layer until the very end of our adventure.

Give Thanks 2015

 We enjoyed Thanksgiving this year with many of our dear friends for "Friendsgiving" 
The kids ate nearly nothing, because how can you eat when there is so much going on with so many of your friends?
They missed out, because the food was off the charts.  We are grateful Rich and Leslie offered their home and shoved 13 adults and 6 kids into their apartment in Cambridge.  We all just got cozy and enjoyed each others company.
 Mrs. Lisa and her sidekick Maud 
 Rich was the kitchen master this year.  He cooked the turkey, cornish game hens, and lots of gravy!
 There was lots of philosophical conversations going on, and a little snuggling too! 

 There was MORE than enough pie and other yummy desserts.

Gwen and her cute baby belly.  Gotta eat for two girl!
 The hostest with the mostest!

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Kiddos

Berkeley William Gentry: 6 3/4 years- 
Attends First Grade and is our little reader.  This kid is on fire with reading and recently told me, "I love reading, it is my favorite!"   I'm pretty sure this is what every mother's dream is, right?  Berkeley loves stories, movies, shows, and books.  When he grows up he wants to be a director, make movies, be in movies, and illustrate cartoons.  He has a very active imagination and has taken on a love for drawing; he loves to draw if he is not reading, playing with his friends or enjoying screen time.  Berke loves playing with friends, especially Ethan and Philip the boys up the road.  He is a big helper with his baby sister.  He took art class this summer and loved it, and is currently in a gymnastics class at the YMCA.  His swimming skills improved this summer when he took lessons at the lake by our house.  He is super into Scooby Doo, Ghoosebumps and Minons this year.  He is going to be a Ghostbuster for Halloween (so is Mr. McDuff).  Berkeley loves apples, raisin toast, cheesy eggs, taco bell, bean and cheese burritos, salsa, and anything with sugar.  Berke was diagnosed with ADHD this year, which causes school to be hard for him due to his inability to concentrate a lot of the time.  We are so proud of how well he has been doing this year and how hard he is trying!  It is super hard to keep doing things that are hard, but he doesn't give up.  He is a great friend.  He has started running with me a couple nights a week, doing a exercise class before school 2x a week and the extra exercise has been wonderful for him.  Did I mention that this kid learned to ride a bike with NO training wheels this summer!  He is such a Rockstar and we love him so much!

Vivienne Dianne Gentry: 22 months-
Little Red is getting quite the personality.  She is very independent and wants to do everything herself.  She has found her voice and loves to scream if she is being funny, if she is mad and especially if she doesn't get what she wants.  Vivi loves to color, play with Berkeley and his friends, go on walks being pushed in her car.  She loves her stuffed animals which she calls "babies", playing with cars, trains, blocks, her Mickey Mouse lunchbox, and her cash register.  She also loves to read books, sing and dance.  Her favorite foods are beans, hummus, ketchup, cheese, bananas, grapes, broccoli, crackers and cake!  This girl will do anything for a laugh.  She attends daycare 5 days a week and is learning Portuguese words from her friends there. Little Miss is going to Strawberry Shortcake this year for Halloween.  We love this girl!


These two love each other and have the sweetest relationship!  I'm so lucky to be their momma!

Mr. McDuff 10 years:
He is getting old, but his spirit is forever young!  He puts up with these two crazy little humans.  He loves to eat, sleep and run around the yard chasing the damn bunnies.  He is cute, handsome and the neighborhood heartthrob for many of the other dogs.  He is a great snuggle buddies, seems to like the new house but refuses to go downstairs, he is in fact terrified.  We love our furbaby!