Miniman actually did have a birthday

It's true! After being scolded by more than one family member I figured I better get out of the antiblog funk and post something. And the truth is I haven't blogged about a lot of really important stuff with pictures of cute kids that go with the tales.

One of these is Miniman's birthday. It started out by me taking him to the dr. to get shots!!!! How cruel. Poor guy. I don't know what I was thinking when I scheduled that. Anyway, moving on.

We went to McDonald's of course, and ate super nutritious happy meals :) and the kids played.

Miniman ate F R I E S...he hearts fries.

Then we proceeded to go home and get ready for some sledding! His first for his first birthday!
We were joined by our faves XY and Lucas.

I've included several pictures of them just to torture myself since I cried on Saturday because they are across this globe. I would seriously dig a hole to China some days.

XY and Sammyboy in the minivan. I think this picture really brings out what a hip, happening, family fun vehicle the minivan is. Someday if the minivan dies I will include pictures like this in its memorial.


The baaaybees. Rear and front facing was working well for mutual entertainment in those days!

At Murray Park, loving the snow!

Unable to properly move but happy! Good birthday!

XY and Woocas.

The twins.

This is a really tortuous picture. The cousins all together. Sniff. I love pictures. These guys will be saying different words, liking different toys and cartoons, be really different little people when they see each other next time, but we have this moment captured and can remember all the fun things we laughed about and loved when they were at these stages together.

Everybody but me (behind camera) showing what a fun time we had. Yes we did actually sled, but it was pretty dark so I don't have great pictures of it.

Then another day we had a family birthday party at Gma and Pa's.

Jungle animal theme.

Getting ready to blow out the candle plus proof that I acually do participate in these family activities.

Trying...

XY and Lucas with birthday viddles.

Oooh. Spinny light up ball...

Kind of a dazed look here but happy with the Pa and with the birthday!

He has been learning stuff like crazy since 1 yr old hit. Even before then I guess but it is so fun. He has such a fun sense of humor and great faces to go along with it. We LOVE this little smush like crazy.

puppies

Anyone who read my post about how our children are dog-deprived will be happy to see that we took a little field trip over to our neighbor's house to see their NINE puppies! So cute. They are selling them so we wanted to catch a glimpse before they are all gone. It was fun. And educational.

Mateo loves dogs the most, I think, but he was a bit wary.

He actually loved the BIG PARENT dogs but the little nippy guys made him a bit nervous.

Here he is with the daddy doggie. He calls every animal a doggie which sounds like dah dah, so maybe he doesn't like dogs the best after all. He does call ducks some sort of quack sound. So there's progress at least.

This was his position most of the time when the puppies were out. Attached to my knees. Hee.

Miranda was the least afraid and most comfortable with the doggies. Yesterday she made up a song called, "Why can't I live on a farm." It was a melancholy song. Moving.

I told her we are going to live somewhere as soon as we can where we can have chickens, and a big garden, and maybe a goat if we're lucky.

She said that's not a real farm. A real farm includes cows and horses, of course, and a big, big barn.

I'd like the big, big barn but I told her all about what her morning routine would be if we owned a real farm.

I though, ha, that'd show her.

Didn't phase her. A girl after my own heart. A girl who dreams of pioneer, simple, do-it-yourself living but in actuality would rather not axe a chicken head off nor use an outhouse regularly.

Look at this little cute guy. I meant Sammy but the little puppy is cute too. A bunch of kids and puppies? So fun. Thank you thank you Owens for the visit!

back to normal

I needed a good bridge between the last eyesore of Napoleon and Pedro back to my normal mommish posts. So this will have to do. Hubby on ugly sweater day for the faculty and staff at Paradigm. He did get a prize for this beaut, of course. I think maybe he should pull it out again for our Valentine's Day date because it has hearts. And I will wear my Napoleon pants. We'll turn heads as USUAL.