Spring Break 2012 - Punta Mita - Days 3 & 4

We're firmly into the middle of our spring break excursion and have continued to have a great, relaxed time . . . its been great to see how much the boys are enjoying the beach and swimming this year vs. last, especially given that we weren't able to swim much over this past summer.

Definitely some great shots below:

(1) First up, the boys enjoying their morning tv ritual, which has been split between Ice Age and Lily & Stitch. Pai and Daddy definitely try to steer them towards Ice Age after one Lilo viewing.

(2) Next up, Pai and Ethan enjoying their favorite chocolate chip pancakes at the nearby four seasons.

(3) Ethan showing off his tough guy look . . . the ray bans definitely help him overcome the mock turtleneck look.

(4) & (5) Some adorable pics of Noel-y Canoli on the beach - the Beach Club had a big truck, which certainly played into his wheelhouse. We especially love the second pic, where he's showing his "proud peacock" side . . .

(6) Super, super cute pic of Ethan in his turtle swimsuit and matching hat . . . given that he wore the hat for exactly 8 minutes over the course of the first four days, its pretty amazing that Pai managed to snap this pic!

(7) & (8) Last up, a couple of pics of Pai & Dad enjoying some time on the beach with the boys . . .

Spring Break 2012 - Punta Mita - Day 3 - Nap Time on the Beach!!

Here are some adorable pics of Daddy and Ethan after an exhausting morning in the pool and on the beach . . . we'd forgotton to take the pacifiers out of the diaper bag post-air travel, which delighted Ethan to no end. The combination of said pacifier, a warm towel, Daddy's arms, and the crashing waves put both boys to some peaceful sleep . . .

BEFORE:













AFTER:

Spring Break 2012 - Punta Mita - Days 1 & 2

For our third Spring Break with the boys, their first since starting school, we decided to return to Punta Mita, exactly replicating our great trip from 2011. It's a great location that lends itself to a very simple trip with the boys - sun, sand, heated pools, a great local nanny and a really great condo with lots of space to spread out.

We've just completed our second day adn I thought I'd post some pics from the trip so far . . .

First up, some super cute pics of the boys in their big boy seats, required by American Airlines now that they are over the age of 2 . . . both boys are in firm possession of their most cherished security object - a pacifier for Ethan and a blanket for Noel. All in all, our travel was uneventful - the boys snacked, watched Cars on the iPad and made it through each and every one of our planned activities, spanning puzzles, flash cards, and sticker books. Only one brief outburst from Noel when we wouldn't let him roam freely, but otherwise a success!

Next up, a series of pics from our first couple of visits to the Punta Mita Beach Club . . . more to come later!

• Noelly, posing with Daddy, while he puts away some cashews, his favorite treat of the moment

• Pai with Ethan, screaming with excitement over just returning from playing in the surf

• The boys getting ready to set sail in their "toddlers only" sea kayak!
  

• Lastly, a great shot of Pai with the boys on the beach
  

Professional Photos - 2nd Year Edition!!!

It's pretty hard to believe that we're taking our second annual family photo. Just looking at our 3-month photos and even last year's family photo it's crazy how much things have changed. Noel was still trying to master walking last year.

This year, Chad and Marci took us out to a great little farm on a chilly Sunday morning. It took a little while to get the boys warmed up and we got some great pictures. And we were SO happy to have Kim in town the same weekend as the photos. One of the best pictures of the day was of the five of us.

Latest and greatest family portrait:

The boys looking adorable:

Noelly the Ham:

The many sides of Ethan:

Noel gave us a smile only after the promise of candy:

Look on the sides of the couch for some Reese's pieces:

Our favorite pics of the day!!

Miscellaneous Pics - January, 2012

Some extraneous shots - January, 2012 edition . . .

First up, a couple of shots of Dad on his own during one of Pai's infrequent overnight work trips . . . enjoying new ritual of pre-bedtime "Finding Nemo" (now that they're 2+ years) right up until the 7:29 PM moment when they were hungry for a late night snack in the form of strawberries.

Next up, a hysterical picture of the boys upon waking up early on a Saturday morning . . . we'd heard some light rumbling, which led to giggling . . . when Dad finally made his way towards their room he encountered the sight below . . . the boys, newly potty-trained, clearly banned together to make a very clear statement about how they felt about their future relationship with diapers . . . cute stuff:

Lastly, some baby model shots as we tried out some different clothes in advance of our 2 year professional shots . . . also a good indication of just how long their respective hair had grown - Noel's working the side curl while Ethan is working a full on shag (and a super crying expression):

Cooking with Pai!!!

We had a school project for the boys that involved us cooking with the boys. We made two recipes and they had a blast helping measure, pour and mixing ingredients.

Noel is his newest role, Project Manager. Here's he's saying, "ETHAN....ETHAN....no, put the flour here! Ethan...no, put it here!" And I'm not exaggerating...he constantly tells everyone what to do and where to go these days:

The boys were totally into feeling the soft flour:

Mix it up, mix it up, mix it up together....

Noel pointing out where the sweet potatoes should go:

Ethan likes to be fastidiously clean, so the flour on his shirt was NOT pleasing him:

Noel: "Guys, if I want it done right, I'll just do it myself."

Big Boy Haircuts!

Haircuts have always been a source of "push n pull" in the Brudam Brigade household . . . Pai has always been a big fan of "as long and shaggy as their hair can get," while Dad has been yearning for a something a bit more sculpted for quite a while.

As we headed into our 2 year photo shoot, Dad got his wish and we took what's become an annual trip to Miss Ginger, the Park Cities specialist when it comes to the "3 & under" crowd. Our first visit (well documented within this blog) was not our most successful day, but we're happy to report that the 2 year haircuts were spectacular successful.

Ethan went first and literally walked right in and climbed into the chair with no direction . . . he was entertained by a Thomas the Train video and sat patiently without a peep. Noel was up next and it went similarly - he took a toy plane and a protein bar with him for his haircut journey and it was over before he had a chance to get uncomfortable.

Definitely some cute pics to summarize the outing . . . Noel in the chair, a couple pics of each boy beaming from their car seats, post-haircut, and a home shot where you can really get an idea of the finished product. The haircuts definitely transformed them into big boys!!!

Moving into big boy beds...(With Full Video)

I just finished converting the cribs into their transitional beds. Afterwards, the boys kept saying "broken!" as if their cribs weren't right. That being said, they were really into checking out their new digs as demonstrated by the video below. I hope this isn't foreshadowing what tonight is going to be like.

Check it out and we'll keep everyone posted on how the transition goes:



UPDATE: After a few weeks, during which we experienced a shockingly easy transition . . . we really have been blessed with some incredibly good sleepers. A couple of pics of the boys breaking in their beds and an adorable pic of them cohabitating (thanks, per usual, to Ethan).

NOEL GOAL!

As most of you know by now, Uncle David is super passionate about making sure the boys are well-versed in soccer.

Check out the video below of Noel working on his skills over the holiday and a giving a special shout out to Uncle David: