Ward Party and the Seminario Twins (no this is not an announcement)

Miranda at the ward party!

The twins at the ward party.

Fernando's started a tradition the last few times of dressing the same as Sam.

He said he's going to figure out a sneaky way to dress the same as Sam for ward parties even when Sam's like 17 years old. I'll bet Sammy will LOVE that.

Miranda with her friend from nursery. Bad angle...Miranda is really not 10 times the size of her friend.

Miranda telling Santa she only wants her family for Christmas. Aww. But later she told Fernando she was kidding. She said she actually also wants a pair of jeans because hers keep falling down. (Why do they make little girl's jeans with hips??!) Plus her family. I think Santa can handle that.

Samuel saying nothing to Santa and hoping the visit doesn't last long.

Miranda shooting us one more coy look as she exits.

The twins leaving the party. Thanks for coming!

Notice I didn't even show up at the ward Christmas party. ;)

After being in the car too long Miranda sometimes looks like this...

this

and also this:

while Sammy looks like this

and this

reprimanded

As you can see by my husband's last comment I have been duely reprimanded for my bloglag. Great word, huh? I expect credit for that word if any of you reuse it.

I do have to say that some people (said husband) have finished their finals and can freely check the blog without a second thought while others (celebrated inventor of word "bloglag") still have a bunch of finals to grade and feel guilty spending any more time on the computer than the amount heretofore unmentioned toddlers currently complain about. THERE.

But here is a post as requested and I'll do better.

Since he was complaining, I will post a good dad moment by FerMANdo. There are a plethora to choose from, naturally.

The snow glittered down all day like tinkerbell dust but only a bit stuck.
Of course the kids wanted to go out.

Fernando got home. Perfect timing.

He went straight from his shirt and tie to boots and sweatshirt and coat. He still had his church socks on.

Somehow his magic worked with that meager snow to make a whole snowman, short--but we're okay with that around here--and perfect. He had pink bubble gum eyes, a classic carrot nose, and a fruit-roll-up mouth. (pictured below without mouth)

Miranda ate the eyes out the next morning. It must have been excruciating for the snowman.

The kids loved making the snowman with Fernando, but there's more!
The germ concious should stop reading here.
He took our snowcone flavoring and mixed it with snow in a bowl and fed it to the kids with a spoon. I even tasted some. It was scrumptious.


Here's two snowmen.


So, he's a pretty fun dad, I'd say. The kids agree.

issues

We've had issues.

I had grades for finals and Fernando had finals and I have been sick and our computer zapped to black.

Our computer is back from the computer doctor and seems to be fixed, Fernando and I still have some finals left, and I feel a bit better, although I haven't been anywhere but the house and a brief car ride with Fernando and the kids since SUNDAY. Basically, I've been wearing sweats, the SAME sweats, for that entire time. It's been scary.

So here is a make-up post. Thank you for hanging in there, anyone who is actually still checking on us.

Here are some fun things from the last little while.

The kids and I went to a movie for mom's Madagascar 2. I wasn't a big fan of the first one and there were some undesirables in this one now that I think about it, but I did laugh out loud a few times and the kids seemed to like it. And I like what they like.


I made these cookies for Fernando and he was actually happy to see them before, well, you know the rest. There's always next year.


Fernando took the double stroller in his trunk and I had to go somewhere in the neighborhood with the kids so we pulled out the single and went double-decker style. The kids loved it. I think they were warmer too.


Fernando and the kids decorated our fake tree (I am a real-tree purist but we thought it would be less hazardous to get a fake for our California years) and made what was a Charlie Brown tree beautiful and spirited. The kids were wonderful helpers.



We had a lovely Thanksgiving and loved, LOVED, loved having Fernando with us for whole entire and consecutive days. It was really something to be thankful for.

Finally, I will share a story.

Miranda, sweetly: "Mom, I would love you and sit by you even if you had bad breath."
She sits down by me.
Me, thinking, okayyy...: "Thanks, Miranda. That's really nice. Do I have stinky breath or something?"
Miranda, seriously: "Mom. Smell your breath."
Me, taking the hint, covering my mouth towards my nose and breathing. I can't tell how bad it must be: "Sorry, is it pretty bad?"
Miranda: "Mom, I'll still sit by you and love you."
Me, truly touched: "Thanks, Miranda."