Category Archives: henry et marie

the twins are ten

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Apparently we blinked…Marie and Henry (our Bastille Day babies) are ten! Time is accelerating at shocking speed these days – at least, it feels that way to us (the adults). I try to remind myself that it’s only a construct but I’m not sure that fact offers much comfort. We spent their birthday week visiting family down south, and stayed at a luxe home thanks to the generosity of a good friend. We barely left the house and it felt like a five star vacation. We usually try to head north this time of year and avoid the scorching temps, but it was impossible to say no to a private pool. Next week we’re hosting a birthday party with their friends at home which feels like such a treat after years of isolation (and yes, we’re still being careful). Needless to say, we’ll be taking the month of August to recover, lol. You can see more on this post, and below…

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poconos summer scenes

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We were very fortunate to have a summer vacation at our favorite place in the Poconos. While we lived there for well over a year, we only recently moved back to Philadelphia and didn’t expect to be back so soon – it was a pleasant surprise! We were so thankful for glorious weather (as usual, ten degrees or more cooler than the city), perfect lake temps, and our own private space to enjoy summer safely. It blows my mind to see how much they’ve grown at the lake, and how many core memories have been made here. You can see all of our Poconos memories here, and click through for more!

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minecraft themed birthday

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Our babies are nine!! What?! I asked them what they wanted for their ninth birthday, and the answer was both unanimous and instant – MINECRAFT. Marie and Henry discovered the game late last year and quickly developed an obsession (as many understandably do). I was immediately impressed with the endless possibilities of the game, to include the educational factor. I refer to it as AutoCAD with monsters, because the structures and interiors they create in-game are insanely complex and cool. While the theme is not “on brand” for me, lol…I love a challenge and had so much fun pulling it all together. Perhaps this could help inspire your Minecraft-themed fête! More photos + sources below…

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henry + marie’s “woodland” room

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I hadn’t planned to photograph their room here in the Poconos, but when we started to pack it hit me that this would be their last shared room (cue the ugly mama waterworks). Of course this room is just borrowed – all I did was add our accessories – most of the credit goes to my good friend Chanee Vijay. They’ve been sharing this room for many years whenever we stay here, but since we moved in for a year we were able to personalize it a bit more. Our new house finally affords them their own rooms, which is a luxury that they haven’t yet known. While I’m excited for them and know it’s time (they’ll be nine this summer), it’s the end of an era for them (and us) and I’m feeling emotional about it. I can’t help but reminisce about their nursery in our first house, their toddler room transformation (oops never shared that), and their “wild” room in our loft. They’ve been the best roommates a parent could hope for, and it’s helped to bond them forever.

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the freedom trail with kids

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We took this quick trip to Boston in February of 2020, just before the pandemic became very scary here in the states (and before lockdown in late March). Over one year later and I’m still struggling to process how drastically our lives have changed along with everyone else, but I finally feel like I can share this trip. While travel is still not a possibility for most people, perhaps this will help to inspire some family-friendly trip planning, and in the meantime, you can virtually tour many of the sites! We (actually I–my husband was at a work conference) managed the entire Freedom Trail – most of it in one day, with two 7-year-olds (we only missed two sites). I’m a history buff (plus my father was born in Boston), so I enjoyed it for so many reasons. The kids said it felt like a treasure hunt, and it truly is – there is so much to discover along the trail. I’m sharing our full itinerary below, and you’ll find video and more here in my Massachusetts highlights!

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