Grace

Our threesome has become a Quartet

2010-04-11T15:57:00.002-04:00

That is what Grace said upon the birth of her baby brother. And thus, the birth of a new blog entitled "The Perkins Quartet" to update our friends and family about our life and adventures.

Thank you and see you over here every so often:

http://www.theperkinsquartet.blogspot.com/

South Seas Vacation with the Trimarchis - aka last hoorah before Baby Boy Perkins

2009-08-23T22:31:00.039-04:00

Given that I am 8 months pregnant and unable to travel, the Trimarchis were kind enough to meet up with us locally for a little R&R and some fun in the sunshine state. Our choice of destination: the beautiful South Seas Island Resort on Captiva where we...

...dined al fresco...

...made full use of the pools, sprinklers and water slides...

...took long walks on the beaches...

...entertained ourselves on the balcony during afternoon showers...

...practiced our yogo and gymnastics...

...hit the candy store...

...made sand castles...

...sun bathed by the pool while the kids were in camp exploding volcanoes on the beach (one of the highlights of Grace's vacation)...

...and otherwise gave into vacation gluttony (this is a picture of Brandon's ideal breakfast courtesy of Tween Waters Inn)...

...and Mom's incessant need to document the trip...

These guys are fabulous vacation partners and great friends. It is so nice to know that anytime we get together it is sure to be a blast. We miss them already...

Dive-In Movie Theatre in Fort Myers

2009-08-22T22:18:00.010-04:00

When you have the best Daddy in the world, great things can happen to you...

Tonight, Grace's Daddy constructed the "Dive-In Theatre" for us at our community pool...

Showing the movie "Robots"...

It was the best part of our day...

Grace & Nanny

2009-06-21T23:07:00.000-04:00

My little Audrey Hepburn and her great-grandma!

Two Peas in a Pod

2009-06-12T15:18:00.000-04:00

Summer Playdates

2009-06-11T18:57:00.003-04:00

Are the best when they are with good friends....

who you can be silly with...

Disney 2009

2009-05-04T14:03:00.008-04:00

As we prepare to spend Mother's Day weekend at Disney, I thought I would reflect back on the last time we visited the Happiest Place on Earth.

Makin' memories with the Trimarchis!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-04-14T11:41:00.007-04:00

Believe me, I realize I am a bit late with these pics, but they were so cute I couldn't resist posting them before moving on to more current topics.

Here is my girl on Valentine's Day:

And here she is with her Daddy on her way to a special father-daughter Valentine's breakfast at Grace's school:

Papaw Jim came to join in the fun...

My favorite smiles...

Grace Turns Four!

2009-03-18T09:17:00.003-04:00

Here is video of part of Grace's birthday walk at school. They sing that the Earth goes around the sun each year the child has been alive. It's really a beautiful experience and we were so happy to be there with Grace for her special day.

Playing Dress Up...

2009-03-17T09:41:00.006-04:00

with Grace's loveable cousin, Haley.

We miss you, Haley!!

Christmas Day 2008

2009-03-10T09:21:00.012-04:00

Opening presents!

Grace decides to make herself the present...

Taking lessons from Paula Dean for Christmas dinner...

I think Grace did pretty well this year. Even in a rough economy, Santa found a way to bring her some of her favorite things...and trust me, she was very thankful.

Christmas 2008

2009-03-09T09:10:00.029-04:00

There was the Christmas card. This year we had to be a bit creative since Grace was less than thrilled about having her picture taken. Here she is climbing the ladder to our attic (which she thinks is very cool)....

And the Christmas tree. Mamaw Perkins was on hand to help us decorate for the second year in a row...

Lots of Christmas cookies....

And Christmas balls...

There were Christmas poses...

And a Holiday program at Grace's school...

A Christmas Cruise - Wow! (Many of these pics were taken by Miss Grace!)

And finally, we got to Christmas morning!

Thanksgiving, 2008

2009-01-02T09:29:00.009-05:00

We were lucky enough to have a large family-reunion style Thanksgiving this year. It was filled with delicious food, fun old-school games like musical chairs and red-light/green-light, and lots of smiles. Take a look...

The games!

The hugs...Grace just loves her Robbie!

A shot of the special kid-friendly dessert:

And here we are! Aren't we a good looking family!?

Disney, Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-30T10:12:00.037-05:00

My cousin Jenn and her family met us in Orlando right before Thanksgiving for four glorious days of Disney fun. We truly had a blast. How could you not with four perfect Disney loving kids and two sets of fun-loving parents. Take a look...

First, the obligatory first-impression Disney family photos:

Then the character poses:

Bobby formed a special relationship with Mary Poppins:

Well, actually, he really enjoyed all of the characters:

The Mad Hatter was particularly funny:

There were great big Disney smiles:

And lots of Disney hugs:

The rides were awesome! Some of us kept our composure better than others:

In all actuality, we all pretty much left our composure back at the hotel. Here is Bobby enjoying his margarita, sombrero and mariachi band:

Grace got into the act:

And here is Brandon as a volunteer extra in the Indiana Jones show:

We really had a fabulous time and enjoyed every minute.

Quick!

2008-12-30T09:54:00.013-05:00

Before the new year is upon us, I need to close up 2008. I have two days left to do that, so here goes. November was a huge month for us.

There was time spent with friends and cousins at the Taste of the Town:

A five year anniversary celebrated with special friends and a birthday!

Special time with Daddy:

Grace started packing a lunch and "staying" at school (until 2:45 that is):

And last, but not least, a fantastic Thanksgiving complete with trip to Disney and lots of special family time that deserves a post of its own...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-03T12:52:00.003-05:00

We just got back from my parents' house where we had a whirlwind Thanksgiving week filled with great times with family, good eats and even some quality time with Mickey the Mouse. Stay tuned!!

Rhode Island!

2008-12-01T21:30:00.031-05:00

Shortly before Halloween, Grace and I took a trip with my good friend Danielle and her beautiful daughter Desi up north to take in some fall foliage and to introduce Desi to her Rhode Island fam. It was an awesome trip despite the fact that my girl got sick and we spent some time in a walk-in clinic (never fun for the wife of a chiropractor!).

In any case, Grace loved the flight up...

And loved the apple orchard...

Where we got to do some fantastic apple picking...

We had some great fall weather...

Some delicious food (courtesy of Jiggers Diner in East Greenwich, RI. The top pic is their famous gingerbread pancakes with banana and blueberries; the bottom is their delicious homemade granola)...

We also really enjoyed the town of East Greenwich. They opened their doors and their buckets of Halloween candy to us during their annual Halloween trick-or-treat down Main Street. It was so lovely, even if Grace was sans Astronaut costume for the event!!

They even opened their fire house for an awesome, private tour of the fire engine!

But the best part of our trip by far, was all of the quality time we got to spend with Danielle and Desi and with each other. Great friends always equals a great vacation!

Biscuit!

2008-11-15T10:12:00.005-05:00

Grace adores the readers about the little, yellow dog named Biscuit. Well, Biscuit made a visit to our local library! Here she is hanging out with him oblivious to all of the other children around her who would like their own private minute with Biscuit...

She sure does enjoy those big furry characters.

Florida weather is weird...

2008-11-12T19:48:00.015-05:00

Okay, before all my northern friends start making comments about how cold and gray it gets up there in the Fall versus our bright sunshine and 80 degree temperatures here in September and October let me clarify.

I think it is weird that we can go from full on beach vacation courtesy of Brandon's parents who rented a lovely condo right on Fort Myers Beach for all of us to crash in October...

.

..and then two weeks later carve pumpkins in our shorts and t-shirts pretending like we are ushering in the Fall season.

I have tried to channel Fall with traditional Autumn decorations but it is not easy!

The whole season thing is still really hard for me to adjust to, but Grace seems to be doing just fine. She just loves being able to head to the park in a sleeveless dress in November!

Aunt Julie & Hopscotch

2008-11-08T18:42:00.010-05:00

Aunt Julie came to visit us in October. It was so good to see her!

Grandma came, too. She decided to grab the chalk and play Grace's new favorite outdoor game, Hopscotch!

Only problem, apparently Grandma forgot the rules...

She didn't even draw the board the right way!!

Ugh!

I think we need to consult a higher authority. Here's Nanny providing some gaming consultation...

We eventually got the game on the right track and had a really great visit with Aunt Julie, Nanny and Grandma. Thanks for coming! And come back soon!!

Cooking with the Blacks

2008-11-07T15:53:00.010-05:00

Thank you, Blacks, for coming over to our house and making the best pumpkin whoopie cookies ever! I would post a link to the recipe but I think we improvised on this one a little. Anyway, it was very fun...

And the pumpkin-cream cheese bread Grace and Brandon made earlier that day was pretty good, too! What can I say?! We are in a pumpkin mood over here!

Playdates!

2008-11-03T16:10:00.009-05:00

Dress up playdates are the best! Right, Emerson??

Especially when you can wear your tutu on the playground! (Here's Sophia ready to hit the slide in style...)

And still climb the rock wall in your dress...

And end with bed time stories together!

Introducing...

2008-11-02T22:45:00.005-05:00

Grace, The Astronaut!

Only problem is, Grace thinks the outfit means she is ready for her mission to the moon. NASA, where are you!?!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T18:29:00.005-04:00

Cooking Class & Birthday Parties!

2008-10-30T15:52:00.016-04:00

Brandon & I cook with Grace's class about once a month. We have a different recipe for the children each time that intends to incorporate the skills that they have been working on like chopping, peeling or stirring, etc. September's lesson idea came from the lovely story "Stone Soup" (great idea Brandon!). There are many versions of this story, but our edition tells the story of three Monks who are trying to understand what happiness is. They find themselves in a village where the villagers are definitely not happy but, by the end of the story, are brought together in community to work on the "stone soup" started by the Monks thereby finding happiness. It really is a beautiful story. The children loved this version and really loved making their "contribution" to the soup. From onions to carrots to pasta there were enough ingredients for each child to incorporate into the soup. Here's the photography:

Birthday party season is upon us, so we were off to Lakes Park for a fabulous 3 year old birthday party where we had fun in the sprinklers, hitting the pinata and eating cake!

Sprinklers!

It's always nicer to get carried around in a towel by your Dad!

Pinata!

Birthday Cake!

I think she wanted another piece...

Party favors immediately turn the mood around:

It was a really fun party!

Grandma & Grandpa!

2008-10-30T15:41:00.008-04:00

Due to a delay in posting (sorry!) there is much to report on. So - remaining pics from our fabulous vacation will have to wait until I catch you all up on our end of September and early October life.

First, we had a visit from my parents, my grandparents and my Great-Aunt from Puerto Rico. It was a great visit and here are the highlights:

Next up - cooking at Grace's school and a sprinkler birthday party!

OBX Three Years and counting...

2008-09-18T15:39:00.022-04:00

We are back from our annual co-family vacation to the Outer Banks, NC. As always, the trip was highly anticipated and lived up to all the hype! I swear, Grace had been counting down to this trip since last October!

This year, we decided to shake things up a bit though. First, we (meaning BRANDON) decided that driving to the Outer Banks - a mere 16 hours from sunny F.L.A. - with ALL of our stuff was the thing to do. Although I wish I had pictures of the outside of our car packed high with kayak and bicycles, coolers and swimming noodles, here is a shot of Grace on the inside:

We also decided to stay in a new house on a different part of Hatteras Island than we have stayed in years past. On the one hand, the new house was going to be closer by about an hour - which, with a 16 hour drive ahead of us, a closer house by any amount of time was appealing. Plus, this house appeared to be equipped with a few little extras - pirate ship playground, a couple of extra bedrooms and an elevator (yes, it was awesome!). So, although I am generally pretty anti-change, I hesitantly agreed to the switch.

Behold, the new beach house...

It truly was a fantastic house and we each felt so lucky to get to enjoy it for a nice long week.

That being said, thankfully at least some things about this vacation week never change.

Of course, we had the pleasure of the company of four fabulous, fun and funny friends to share every moment - every trip to the beach, every dip in the pool, every (every, every) cocktail and delicious meal. Trust me, we three know just how lucky we are!

And, of course, there was ocean swimming, although this time we hit the Bay too...

There were beautiful views with perfect blue skies...

And beautiful smiles...

Swimming lessons...

And silly faces....

There was quality time with Dad...

Solo reflection time...

Male bonding...

Schlepping...

Shelling...

Flipping...

Fishing...

And family photo ops...

In fact, we did so much this year, it is going to take me another post to complete my trip report! Stay tuned!

Summer Lovin'

2008-08-20T22:02:00.029-04:00

With school in session for Grace since last Monday, it is high time I updated on what a beautiful summer we had. From baseball games to birthday parties, we really enjoyed ourselves this summer. While we still have a bit of summer fun to have at the beach just 2 short weeks away, here is what our summer looked like Perkins-style.

We begin with Playdates to keep up with school friends!

Then there was painting at Grandma and Grandpa's....

Some Uncle Ray time...

What better way to pass some summertime fun than at a baseball game?! Here we are at Tropicana stadium in Tampa watching the Tampa Bay Devil Rays play Detroit...

It's the seventh inning stretch - smell my feet Grandma!

We picked a perfect day to visit the "Can." It was family fun day where they had face painting and much more!

A heart-shaped baseball for my girl!

Grace being funny with Grandma!

Grace also worked on her fine motor and drawing skills - here is a sample of her work. We were pretty amazed!

House projects are definitely a summertime thing over in this neck of the woods. Here is a sample of Brandon's work. He calls it "The Man Bar." Needless to say, I was pretty amazed.

The summer Olympics took up a great deal of our time for the past 2+ weeks. Here is Grace enjoying her first opening ceremonies...

A little Grace & Daddy time during the commercial breaks...

Aunt Lizzie's birthday bash at the beach was great fun for all! Grace improvises on the birthday hat look...

Fun!!!

Baby Taylor wants in on the birthday hat action....

Silly family photos!

Kite flying says summer!!

So do Florida sunsets...

It truly was a fantastic summer and I can't believe it's over (sort of)....

3 More Weeks Until Our Next Big Vacation!

2008-08-11T16:13:00.003-04:00

We can hardly wait!

Spending some QT with Uncle Ray

2008-08-06T07:57:00.002-04:00

Our Trip to the Tri-State Area

2008-07-27T20:29:00.029-04:00

New York City here we come!

Being the true New Yorker that she is, Grace hailed us a cab at LaGuardia:

Since when are there tvs in taxi cabs?

At least some things never change. Our New Jersey monkeys are still fabulous and definitely know how to show us a good time!

Here we are at a very cool park in Jersey...

And here we are at the park of all parks, Central Park, splashing in the sprinklers and having the ultimate summer city day...

Here we are having an impromptu pizza party smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Someone even leashed their dog until we were through eating. Aren't New Yorkers the best?!

I think Miss Mina enjoyed it most of all!

What better way to top off some good and greasy pizza than with a Mister Softee?

And then it was off to the Hamptons where "pretty" becomes a way of life...

There were pretty dresses...

And pretty things...

Pretty restaurants with gorgeous views...

Followed by playtime on the pretty beach with our very beautiful and hilarious cousins (here they are doing yoga poses on the deck and more!)...

And nothing says NY like a Tasti D-Lite while watching the fireworks...

Unfortunately, due to some camera troubles we were unable to photograph much of the trip so the memories will have to do, but let me assure you we had a spectacular time visiting old friends and family, eating great food and just being in the city that still holds our heart. Thanks to everyone who hosted the Perkins family with their many quirks! Please come and visit so that we may return the favor!!

I can't wait to tell you about our trip to NYC!

2008-07-18T10:23:00.002-04:00

Stay tuned!

Disney, Spring 2008

2008-06-23T10:29:00.028-04:00

Last month we took Grace and Cousin Haley to Disney for a nice long weekend. Needless to say, these two were pretty excited about the whole idea...

First stop, the Monorail. Grace loves all modes of transportation, but monorails, trains and especially subway trains (preferable the number 3 express train, but more on that in the next post) are her absolute favorites!

Next stop, mandatory photo op at the Mickey grass site:

Next to the monorail, Grace's second favorite Disney activity is the Speedway Race Cars. And, of course, Grace has to drive!

Apparently, so does Haley!

The roller coaster in Toon Town was next on the list.

Time for lunch!

Luckily Disney knows how to keep the kids occupied and in their seats for lunch. Crayons and Mickey stickers will do the trick every time!

But even better is a "Disney character lunch." Here we are Epcot's Garden Grill Restaurant in the Land for a really outstanding lunch complete with visits from Mickey, Pluto and Chip & Dale.

Not only is the food fresh, delicious and reasonably priced (for Disney!), this family style restaurant includes terrific kid-friendly fare including cupcakes and toppings for the kids to ice and dress themselves while mom and dad quietly sip their coffee and enjoy their grownup dessert (we had cobbler) in peace!

Here's Grace's finished product!

And here's a very joyful Grace after a great big hug from the big cheese!

Worth every penny, folks!!

We were lucky enough to catch the flower festival while we were at Epcot. Very cool!

And then it was time for bed. This time we rented a condo/townhouse about 2 miles from Disney. The space included a dining room, living room and most importantly, a lovely kitchen to store fruit and snacks and breakfast...

At $79 a night, we thought this was a fantastic deal. The only glitch was there were only 2 bedrooms, so for the first time Grace slept in a twin bed right next to someone else. We weren't sure if the girls were going to keep each other up all night but we took a chance.

At least a mini-Mickey was there to add a little comfort to new quarters.

In the end, the girls slept fine and we all had a blast! See you real soon, Mic!

Spring Recap!

2008-06-21T09:36:00.023-04:00

On the first official day of summer, I thought it about time to do a Spring Recap.

We start with cool ocean breezes...

Grandma's Birthday!

Mother's Day...

Complete with a beautiful breakfast at Grace's school (in an adorable dress - thank you Steph!)...

Where I got to observe Grace doing the work she loves...

Grace also learned how to dive for sticks this spring...

And we went to Disney, but I think that deserves a post of its own.

Grace has developed a true love of butter (I hear it runs in the family). And so I end on Grace's delicious looking face smeared with butter from breakfast.

Danielle's Baby Shower

2008-05-18T18:50:00.012-04:00

There's Danielle. And Desi, her baby girl, is in her belly. Now Desi was born on May 30th healthy and happy, but you know how blog updates go. So here are the pics from my overnight away from my girl to attend my good friend Danielle's lovely shower in Miami.

I was in charge of the cake. Doesn't it look delicious? Well it was. Courtesy of Mason's Bakery in Fort Myers. That's right. I drove this cake all the way from Fort Myers to Miami. Gotta do it for their chocolate fudge icing.

Beautiful decorations in the cherry blossom theme.

There I am sans kid for the first time in a very long while.

And Danielle and her girls.

And then I was back with my girl...

Flashback to Easter

2008-05-15T09:03:00.006-04:00

Camera and computer troubles made posting Easter pics a little tough this year. Here they are only 2 months late! ;-)

Grandma came through again this year with a lovely bonnet for my girl...

Here she is loving the posed pics with cousin Dee Dee...

And here they both are on a mini-Easter egg hunt in front of grandma's house...

Drawing Letters

2008-05-04T10:35:00.007-04:00

Inspired by another clever mama, I thought we'd try practicing writing our letters. Here's my girl and her work...

Adventures of a Three Year Old

2008-04-14T20:54:00.014-04:00

Being three has really brought us to new heights. Grace constantly reminds us that she is a "big girl" and what once passed for entertainment no longer cuts it. She is in non-stop challenge mode -challenging herself and us! Most of it is fun and amazing - if not a little bittersweet (I hate change, so watching my baby grow is definitely wonderful, but not easy!).

And so, we get to the pictures.

We camp:

Orchestrate full on outdoor movies:

Work on our Memory strategy:

Lounge by the pool:

Cuddle with our favorite friend, Big Bear (at least some things never change!):

Play dress up - complete with crown, wand, boa and tutu and then dance around the kitchen:

And, of course, we do the park. But do we hang by the baby swings or the slides? Nope. Not anymore, anyway!:

It's just all part of being a big kid, I guess!

The Wedding Post

2008-03-31T14:40:00.022-04:00

There was a wedding!

With a classic bride and a handsome groom:

Just kidding! Here is my brother and his lovely bride:

There was also a beautiful mother-of-the-groom and her daughter:

And, of course, a Flower girl:

Here she is - my girl - looking a bit like Cinderella (thanks Uncle Al!) and loving every minute of it:

And here she is doing her thing...

...while the guests look on adoringly...

(okay, he wasn't exactly invited, but he went so well with the whole "Key West beach" theme!)

More pics to come, but for now, let me just say that wedding weekend was more fun than a chocolate ice cream cone!!

3rd Birthday Cont...

2008-02-24T14:22:00.005-05:00

In addition to the party at home, we celebrated Grace's birthday with her classmates at school. Pretty mainstream, par-for-the-course, right? Think again. Unlike most American schools where frosted cakes and juice boxes are a staple in any celebration, Grace's Montessori school only allows unadulterated fresh fruit and vegetables for snack. No cupcakes, no cookies, no icing, no candy and no juice. Just water and fresh, preferably organic, fruit and vegetables. Oh, and don't bother cutting it up for the children. That is all part of their "work."

So, I was left with a dilemma. How can I make Grace's day special and live within the confines of the food rules??

Here is what I came up with:

Fruit skewers stuck in a cantaloupe.

Here's Brandon helping with my creation and wondering what the heck happened to store-bought cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles:

Just kidding! Our born-again, nutrition loving, former cheesefrier, loves Grace's school and thinks the snack policy is really very good for the kids. Whether he loves my interpretation, or the fact that I enlisted his help at an unfortunate hour in the evening, is another story:

But the kids loved it! And so did Grace.

Oh, and we had our cupcakes at home. Chocolate, of course.

Long Overdue...

2008-02-03T16:39:00.024-05:00

With the passing of my brother's out of this world wedding, Valentine's Day, and other random life occurrences (not to mention the gentle prodding from our favorite NJ mama), it appears that a complete post on Grace's birthday is LONG overdue. So let's get started.

First, there was a party.

This year we went with a carnival theme. In other words, we transformed our entire house - from mailbox to tree - into a Carnival.

We had corn dogs & caramel apples:

Face painting:

Carnival games handmade by Brandon:

A bounce house (because nothing says "birthday party" like a giant mickey-clad bounce house):

Fruit salad (gotta have something healthy!):

A three-tiered BLUE - inside and out - birthday cake, made from scratch by your's truly (as if the picture didn't make that last part obvious!):

Along with a store bought, DELICIOUS, chocolate cake from local bakery extraordinaire Mason's Bakery, for my Dad who celebrated his 50th birthday on January 25th:

Now, of course, no carnival would be complete without clowns. There was much debate in our house about whether a clown was a good idea. One of us (Brandon!) has some not-so-fun and friendly memories of clowns from his dark childhood. Nevertheless, we took a shot and hired our own child-friendly type from North Port:

He brought hula hoops:

He brought plate-spinners:

He even juggled fire! A bit child-unfriendly, but we've got insurance!

In an effort to out-do the clown, Brandon gave us his juggling act, but fire beats bean bags, you know...

When the clown brought out Cuddles the Bunny Brandon had to concede the loss. The show was fantastic, the kids loved the show and Juggles the Clown from North Port gets our highest recommendation!

After the show it was time for cake:

Then another romp in the bounce house:

Presents had to wait until after nap, but then, let the unwrapping begin!

It was a beautiful day and a great time had by all. Especially the birthday girl. 25 days later and we are still talking about it!

Happy Birthday Grace & Grandpa!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-02-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

Go Hillary!

2008-01-21T10:32:00.001-05:00

We are cheering you on in this important and historic race! To quote Grace - "You can do it!"

Experts.

2008-01-21T09:37:00.002-05:00

We are ready for another trip to see the Mouse.

Mynsters - you in??

Happy New Year, Guitars & Elephants

2008-01-20T19:56:00.000-05:00

The Nutcracker

2008-01-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

Ten of us went to see The Nutcracker the day after Christmas. It was Grace's very first ballet!

She, of course, loved it. She kept yelling - "Bravo, Bravo!" Even when the crowd had stopped clapping, which was slightly embarassing for me (I mean, it's Fort Myers, not Lincoln Center, so only slightly).

I did have to give Grace some M&Ms to keep her in her seat for the 90+ minute show. Here's Grace's sugar smile:

Christmas Part II

2008-01-04T09:24:00.000-05:00

Twas the night before Christmas...

...the stockings were hung...

...the tree was dead...

..and here's Grace in black velvet pants, Christmas Eve blouse with grosgrain ribbon, and blue sparkle FLIP FLOPS WITHOUT the beautiful (and pricey) red and green raw silk sash I bought because, well - because she is 2 and 3/4 and refuses to let me dress her up like my little doll anymore...

And here she first thing Christmas morning, having little idea what awaits her in the living room:

..but excited to find out...

Two seconds later we were into it...

...and "it" took us all morning and even part of the afternoon.

We had to take a bike break, of course:

And then give every toy its fair shake before proceeding onto the next...

Stockings were the most fun!

Beads...

Boas in our favorite shade...

Santa was certainly good to us!

jingle bells

2008-01-01T20:21:00.000-05:00

Christmas Part I

2008-01-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

Like most people we know (particularly those who live in our neighborhood), we began preparing for Christmas shortly after Thanksgiving. Even so, because we spent Thanksgiving in Tampa with my parents, we were a bit behind on the decorating not being able to put up lights as people were storing their leftover turkey. To compensate, we let no grass grow under our feet when it came to holiday baking. This year we baked an unbelievable amount of sugary holiday treats. Having never baked a gingerbread figure before in my life, it was uncharted territory, but gloriously fun for me. And for Grace - well that goes without saying:

Grace has always loved being in the kitchen. Even before we moved to Fort Myers and actually got a kitchen that comfortably fit all of us at one time, we would have Grace propped up on our tiny railroad of a New York City kitchen counter, stirring, sifting and pouring like the best of them. Once we got to Fort Myers, we definitely kicked things up a notch (Bam!). With the aid of some beautiful aprons courtesy of the early Christmas present from our favorite New Jersey friends we got 5 kids (that's right!!) in the kitchen to make 7 (yup!) different types of Christmas cookies to enjoy and give as gifts to our deserving friends and neighbors. Here's mommy and Grace sporting the adorable aprons (stethoscope optional):

Mamaw Perkins came over early to help us get started. After all, the kids needed some cookie dough that was ready to be cut with the 50 or so cookie cutters we lined up for the occasion:

And here's Grace measuring:

And pouring:

And here's MacKenzie trying Grace's apron on for size as she prepares amazing chocolate-hazelnut smooches courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and adapted by me for Christmas (use red and green sugar instead of orange).

And that would be Nutella - a delicious hazelnut spread brought to us from Italy (where we get nearly everything delicious-wise) and the key ingredient to the smooches - all over Grace's face:

Here's Daddy checking in on our progress:

Lunch break!

And batch number 1 is done - whole wheat gingerbread men and ladies:

Gotta have an "o" face (which is apparently a reference to a movie called "Office Space" that I have never seen, but I am a big Jennifer Aniston fan, so I am putting it in my queue):

It's time to break out the sprinkles:

Oooh...:

Ah...:

Last - but certainly not least - Mexican Wedding Cookies (my favorite!):

Now, all of these cookies really weren't just for Brandon, Grace and I to snack away on until we went up a dress size (trust me, with my brother's wedding swiftly approaching I certainly did not need a single one of these treats). In fact, we had a Christmas party. With friends. And kids. And food. So, naturally we needed dessert. And what better way to display all of our hard work than to create a dessert table (picking required):

The party was a great success thanks in large part to Brandon and his ingenious idea to make an outdoor theatre for the kids to watch Frosty while the grownups chowed on his amazing Turkey legs a la Disney. Here are the parents eating away - notice how peaceful everyone looks:

And here are the kiddies - pretty great, huh?:

Of course, that beautiful, angelic picture was taken before they had their cookies. Here they are on an all out sugar high, running back and forth on our front porch playing something called - Hug Monster (I kid you not!):

Water break! (Yes, Grace's feet are THAT dirty!):

All in all, a big success for child and grown-up alike, and a terrific way to get through the 7 dozen or so cookies we crafted.

Pre-Christmas Recap

2007-12-26T08:44:00.001-05:00

Christmas cards...check:

Tree...check:

Decorations...check, check...

Cookies...check (and then some!):

Santa hat...check:

Waiting for Santa...CHECK!:

Looking cute waiting for Santa...always, check:

Waiting for Santa in 80 degree weather...check (for us, that is; as for the rest of our friends, not so much):

Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

The excitement is at critical mass.

Playing Dress Up!

2007-11-26T21:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

2007-11-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

It's Brandon's birthday on Sunday so I just wanted to wish the best Daddy in the whole world the happiest of birthdays!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

We interrupt the cute vacation pics to bring you...

2007-10-09T20:49:00.001-04:00

Beach Fun.

2007-10-03T21:24:00.000-04:00

So what do we do on these beach vacations, anyway?! Well, our activities big and small are generally centered around the kiddies. While there are some things that remain solely for adults during "adult time" most everything else is kid-friendly and kid-sized. Here we go...

There are crafts:

Water sports, like body surfing...

Beach tennis:

Digging and getting buried in the sand:

Cooking and drinking ;-):

(yes, there are four choices in cupcake toppings!)

Taking long walks on the beach:

Looking cute on the beach:

Smores!:

Lounging, lounging and more lounging:

That's about it, in a photo nutshell. It's all wonderful and we feel pretty lucky to have had this time.

Post-Vacation Blues

2007-10-03T13:55:00.000-04:00

Ouch. We miss our friends.

Big time.

Ah. Vacation.

2007-10-02T10:33:00.000-04:00

Our last summer adventure was at the beach in North Carolina. This vacation has now become an annual thing. The vacation we look forward to all year and the one we start planning for months in advance. It is the vacation that is purely indulgent and purely for us. We get to hang with great friends, eat, drink, swim, dig, surf, swing, nap and relax (as much as you can with a 2 year old). Although I could write about how perfect the week was and how much fun we all had - I will show you the proof instead:

Much more to follow...

Did I mention we went to Sea World?

2007-09-17T15:41:00.000-04:00

Very cool!

First breakfast on Sesame Street...

Then "Shamu, Shamu"....

Then a photo op with Uncle Derek...

An Aquatic-themed Carousel...

All in all, a fantastic day and well worth the Florida heat!

School Days

2007-09-07T13:03:00.000-04:00

Here we are on August 1st after having picked up Grace from her first "alone" visit at school before school was really official. Don't we all look a little shell-shocked by the whole thing??

Thankfully, we have all adjusted a bit better to the idea of Grace going to preschool for 3 hours a day. Here's Grace happily singing in her car seat on her way to her very first day of school ever!

I decided not to burst her bubble of excitement with the thoughts of endless hours of homework, lack of freedom of schedule and all the tests that await her from here on in. Especially since this is just preschool - and preschool should be fun after all!

Farewell to Summer...

2007-09-04T19:30:00.000-04:00

As our preschool days are upon us (more to follow on that little milestone), I thought I would recap our summer vacation - minus our one big summer trip that doesn't take place for a few more weeks (but which we anxiously await!).

This summer was filled with lots of hard work on the house...

And on our swimming lessons (Grace is now an unbelievable swimmer!)...

Family...

(Nanny & the Uncles)

(Grace & Grandma)

(Grace and cousins Kendall & Haley)

Friends...
(Katie & MacKenzie, our comrades of summer fun!)

Lots of kisses...

Food...

food...

and more food...

Football games (Go Canes!)...

Summer music classes...

Competitive pool sports...

And general silliness...

Grace seems to be growing up so fast. It is amazing to me that she is 5 days into her first school experience. I don't know how this time warp happened or how I can make it stop (and even reverse itself!), but I do know that I have really enjoyed spending my days with Grace. We have been on quite an adventure together and I only hope that if she remembers any of it, she will think of it as fun times.

The Best Part

2007-08-12T21:03:00.000-04:00

Before I can close the chapter on our New York trip (and move on to something from this month's adventures), I have to share with you the best part of our girls week (okay, almost 2 weeks) in the Big Apple.

It wasn't the parks (although they are the best!)...

Or all the cool museums...

Or acquiring a chocolate addiction thanks to some good friends (you know who you are!)...

Or even all of the dancing around...

Or general silliness...

It was all that great time spent visiting with family and friends!!

Above is Grace with her cousins Robbie and Evan and below is their beautiful sister, Haley!

Below are Grace's Great-Grandparents and Aunt Julie...

And here's a close-up of Great Aunt Jules...

Here I am with a pack of buddies whom I miss on a daily basis (along with the photographer of this pic, the beautiful and talented Amy Helin)...

And, Mina says, "Hey, Don't forget me! I was the birthday girl!"

And there's that same move from her Daddy!

Seeing our friends and family was the best part of the whole trip. I hope you guys are booking your tickets down to visit Casa Perkins real soon! We're waiting for ya (that's Fort Myers speak for you!)

Only in NY

2007-07-27T08:42:00.000-04:00

One of the things we miss most about NY (there are plenty, though) is Mini Masters. Mini Masters is an amazing three story fun house for babies, toddlers and kids where they can take gym, art, ballet, music, even a foreign language, all taught by some of the best kid-centered people I have ever met. Oh, and while your child is taking all of these amazing classes, you could be getting a manicure, taking a pilates class or sipping a latte all on the premises. It's unbelievable!

We have been members of Mini Masters since it opened when Grace was about 15 months. Back then, we were one of a few families who hit the "open gym" almost every day. Grace became their resident "Norm" as everyone would yell out their hellos to her as she walked into the place and headed straight for the mats like she was part-owner (incidentally, the owners/creators are three moms who were tired of schlepping all over Manhattan for various classes and wanted a one-stop shopping place for the whole family to spend a nice long afternoon getting smarter or leaner or pampered). When we moved away, there was certainly one big tearfest at Mini Masters.

So, of course, we had to head back and take in a class or two and re-connect with our old friends.

Here we are having a snack after a rigorous ballet class...

And taking an art class:

Just remembered I forgot to pick up our paintings! Ugh - to be one of those mommies who gets all the artwork scanned into a frameable portrait fit for your living room. In the next life, maybe. Anyway, thank you Mini Masters, for all of the wonderful memories and for welcoming us with open arms this trip.

And a special thank you to Ms. Marta, the ultimate piano teacher. It was so good to see you. Please move to Ft. Myers. Please!!

Catching up with my daughter...

2007-07-25T14:33:00.000-04:00

One of the best parts of this trip was all the special "girl time" I had with Grace. We certainly missed Brandon and almost didn't make the trip because he wasn't able to join us, but in the end I was glad we went because I really got to focus all of my attention on Grace. Sure, I am home with her now and with her "all day" but I am also juggling the house and a host of other distractions that make it hard to give her 100% of the attention for the better part of the day. Our NY trip allowed me to really do that - no house to clean, no bills to keep up with, no meals to prepare. Just us. And speaking of meals, one of the best times we had "catching up" was sharing meals at some of our old jaunts. Here we are at Bouley Bakery sharing a pear and chocolate croissant (yum!)...

And here we are at the Soda Shop where Grace is perfecting her cup drinking skills...

Cheers!

That mother-daughter quality time always reminds me what an amazing kid I've got the pleasure to spend my time with. She really did "cheers" me with her water glass, tell me about all the rides she loved at Central Park and how she preferred to ride the subway rather than take a taxi. She ordered her own food from the waitress and even shared some of her turkey bacon with a tiny German tourist.

Thanks for being such a great travel companion, Grace!

Our beloved New York

2007-07-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

The gap in posts has to do with one thing -- the planning, packing, preparation, execution and recovery from our trip back to our beloved city. Here is part 1 of our trip in pictures.

Of course, we were pretty excited to be home...

First stop, to the park of all parks, Central Park...

We got wet in the sprinkler, slid down the slides, ran through the playgrounds, hung out with the lucky kids who get to live this every day...

..and even hung with some Jersey kids who crossed the bride to hang with us at this incredible carnival that has taken over Wollman Rink called the Victorian Gardens...

...where Grace rode her very first roller coaster (with a new friend she made while waiting on line -- is she growing up or what??).

Later, we chilled with Jordan at a perfect picnic packed by two perfect parents (thanks Jeff & Sadaf)...

...after which we put our sugar rush to good use as we ran crazy through the sprinklers...

... while Mina modeled her bikini for the crowds...

I even through caution to the wind, ignoring the possibility of a late bedtime, and took Grace back to the carnival so that she could see the rides all lit up at night...

...what you'll do in the name of memory-making! What a fantastic trip! More to come for sure!

The Zoo

2007-06-27T09:30:00.000-04:00

And by "zoo" I do not mean the pack of 8 kids we had swimming over at our house last week:

We actually took Grace to the zoo:

And not the Bronx Zoo or the Central Park Zoo like last year:

...but Tampa's own Lowry Park Zoo. Here's Grace with Uncle Ray enjoying the monkeys:

This zoo had a lot of cool hands on stuff:

Even Daddy seemed to enjoy getting up close and personal with the animals:

Although I think he had more fun showing Ray up in the RockWall Climbing Competition:

Ooooh - a petting zoo!

And what Florida attraction would be complete without a sprinkler section to keep the kiddies cool:

Nice job, Tampa. We'll be back.

100th Post!

2007-06-25T10:04:00.000-04:00

We made it! Who would have thought?!

Let's hear from all of you out there who check in on us every now and then!!

Just Hanging Around...

2007-06-20T08:32:00.000-04:00

First Timer!

2007-06-13T20:16:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo! In typical last-minute Perkins fashion, we decided to head to Disney to celebrate all of the June birthdays (Nana Lana, Mamaw Perkins, & mine).

What better birthday present than to watch a child's very first visit to the Magic Kingdom?

Here we are as we enter this magical place...

First stop - Mickey's house...

In search of the "big cheese" himself, we met up with...

and...

and...

...but no Mickey. Not this time, anyway. Just another reason to go back and soon! Hopefully our good friend Don Mynster can share with us his secrets on how to do Disney on a $1000 bucks a day!

Rainy Day Activities

2007-06-07T14:06:00.001-04:00

In preparation for the rainy season, I thought I should start preparing indoor activities that are both educational and fun (a/k/a things to do between Dora, Mickey and those wonderful Wonder Pets). Sooo... we decided to embark on our first baking adventure. And what could be more kid-friendly than good old chocolate chip cookies (from the freshest whole wheat we could grind ourselves, of course)!

Our we excited?? You bet!

Here's Grace concentrating on those wet ingredients...

And then you have to take the dry stuff and scoop it up and dump it!

Of course, now that Grace is deep into toddlerhood, she wants to do everything "all by myself!" In fact, she told mommy to "Go, Go, Go and watch a movie, Mommy."

You've got to hand it to her, though - she has mastered the skill of concentration. That is, when we are doing something she wants to do!

Daddy came home just in time to sample the batter...

And the final product...

Okay, maybe that just looks like one big cookie to you, but it was fantastic and we had fun!

Yes!! New daytime activity for the books!

New Car!

2007-05-30T16:25:00.000-04:00

Grace got a new car - well, motorcycle to be precise. And it's her very first motorized vehicle. Gulp.

Ta da!

Here she is scoping it out...

Slowly accelerating...

Getting the hang of it...

Yeah - this is cool!! Thanks Aunt Julie! A video thank you to follow!

Push the Pee Pee Oooouuuut!

2007-05-21T20:22:00.001-04:00

We are well on our way...

... to looking cute on the potty.

As for accomplishing our goals with regard to Numbers 1 and 2 - these things take time, energy and, apparently, a lot of toilet paper - at least that's what Grace thinks. She is no friend to the environment when it comes to the usage of TP.

Send along those positive words of encouragement folks. We need them.

Can it be?!?

2007-05-16T14:08:00.000-04:00

It's been just over 28 hours in a diaper-free world. Stay tuned for pics!! Woo hoo!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-16T08:08:00.000-04:00

In honor of Mother's Day, I put everyone to work...

Everyone but me, of course!

Didn't last long though!

After Grace reminded me of the child labor laws - we decided swimming was in order (this is Florida after all!)...

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! Hope it was a great one!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2007-05-08T21:10:00.000-04:00

We Love Clifford!

2007-05-08T17:07:00.000-04:00

We even bring our very own Clifford to see Clifford!

And then we squeeze into other people's photo ops to get one last hug!

Finally, we remember Clifford while swimming with a pretend doggy pant...

Vegas Baby!

2007-05-07T13:24:00.000-04:00

My beautiful mom...

had a beautiful idea. Why not celebrate turning 50 in Vegas??!!? So we did! We girls that is...

Seven of us, to be exact. There was my mom, of course, her sister Rosie, niece Becka, best friend, Terry, future daugther-in-law, Tara, my mother-in-law, Lana and me.

As you can probably guess - we had a blast!

There was quality time by the pool...

Gambling at night...

And a fun time had by all!

Having Fun in Miami...

2007-05-07T13:20:00.000-04:00

without a diaper!

A Temper Tantrum in Pictures

2007-04-26T08:07:00.000-04:00

A Dualie!

2007-04-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

We have officially arrived!

Instead of resolving the car conflict (SUV vs. sedan; foreign vs. domestic; brand name vs. price; storage vs. seating), B decided to avoid it altogether and make a purchase that would help us fit in just a little bit better with the neighbors...

Of course, Grace has to come along on every new adventure (and be subjected to the same humiliation as the rest of us), so we got her a helmet and she was ready to go...

Don't forget the OJ daddy!

Oh yeah! We blend!

Easter!

2007-04-11T07:55:00.000-04:00

In our family, we have a few Easter traditions that I am trying to maintain for Grace. First and foremost, there is the Easter bonnet. You may recall that last year my mom made Grace's bonnet. Well, she did such a great job with it that we were able to re-use it this year!

Although Grace looks less than thrilled with the idea, all in all, she was a trooper and learned to tolerate my incessant need to dress her up. Thanks, Grace!

In addition to the homemade Easter bonnet, new frilly dress and white patent leather shoes (see below), no Easter is complete without an Easter basket that is almost as tall as you...

Next we have the business of white gloves. I have absolutely no idea why little girls where white gloves on Easter but from my Nan to Grace, the tradition lives on...

Now on to Easter mass - the most important part of the Easter traditions - not just because of the religious nature of the holiday, but because mass is where you get to show off your Easter bonnet, dress and gloves. Here is Uncle Chris carrying Grace in all her regalia to church...(Dora sunglasses not part of the traditional wear, but certainly a nice touch!)

Finally, we have the requisite pictures in front of all the statues and fountains at church...

Happy Easter!

What Have the Transplanted New Yorkers Been Up To?

2007-04-05T12:13:00.000-04:00

A whole lot as a matter of fact!

We have been learning to garden...

Preparing for the arrival of the Easter Bunny...

Driving our best buddies around town...

And even lending them a car to go exploring on their own...

Relaxing in the hot tub...

After some tough horse racing...

Feasting on some unbelievable grub...

With some unbelievable friends...

Whom we had to perfect our choke holds (um, I mean bear hugs) on...

Then we headed to Grandma's to die some Easter eggs...

I told ya we've been busy!
Oh yeah - and going to tackle the unpacking one of these days!

Life Outside the Big City

2007-03-22T08:49:00.000-04:00

In anticipation of our next visitors, we just wanted to assure you (and them) that Grace loves it here!