Family photo

Happy Birthday Grandma Jane!

I hope you enjoy it even though you want to avoid it! :)
I hope you enjoy the studio photos of Z & R below.

Master Roman

(was more cooperative with the photographer!)

Miss Zoe

Crazy spaghetti taglines all used up

My dad always made us spaghetti. And I think it was on Saturdays while my mom did her weekend nursing shift. (Except for the one time your grandpa made oatmeal and tried to bribe us into eating it by putting ice cream on top. I wouldn't go for it).




Cooked carrots? I don't think you could have got me to eat those (but look who is- you two still amaze me with what you'll eat! Zoe was taking handfuls of brocolli tonight.)

For the longest time I associated spaghetti with Saturdays and watching the Muppet Show. Must have been on that night. And I'm reminded of the Wide World of Sports intro, with the skier taking a dive off that jump (? It's been many, many years..."the agony of defeat...")


Tonight I thought "spaghetti" because it's fast and easy. And who doesn't like spaghetti?





Apparently Roman. After spilling his full sippy cup of milk Roman decided to transfer his serving of spaghetti from his plate to his high chair tray. And back. And forth. And back. Just moving it back and forth. Not eating it. Moving it. Must be fun to play with.

Zoe, on the other hand dug right in.




Roman made an attempt to keep up with his sister, but I don't think you cut the mustard little boy.



She's got two to your one!



And yes, there's probably a subconscious part of me that says "feed them spaghetti" so that I can take pictures of them eating it. :)

Don't Cry over Spilled Milk

Sure, that's what I was thinking on a Monday night.
Actually tonight was one of those "go with the flow" nights. I can't say I'm always that way. Nope. But tonight, oh what the heck.


One the first sippy cup lid came off I knew we were in for an interesting dinner. And what was on the menu? Spaghetti. Will I ever learn? (no).



Sam didn't mind one bit. Your tolerance has paid off Sam. Not only do you get the food schrapnel, but sometimes you get a milk bonanza.

Life of the party

..if only it were a lampshade...





Or perhaps he's seen the Curious George episode with the bees too many times. Mr. Beekeeper it is.

Have dog, will travel

Okay, mama's not going to fight with you to get your pajamas on.

Seems Zo was keeping herself all good and comfy warm anyway.

Love you!

Ten minutes later his fun involved throwing these blocks all around.
Ah, it does get more interesting, doesn't it? The woman/twin mama who told us the easiest part was when they were really, really little was on to something.

No complaints. No complaints. You get the positives too.

Daddy relaxes.

Nice of you guys to leave the doggies for daddy.



Yeah. No.
Just another obstacle to climb.

Twin Cities 500?

Daddy spent Valentine's Day watching the Daytona 500 (boy that went on forever!).
The kids made their own race. Although I'm not so sure they're ready...



Riding side-saddle isn't exactly what the big boys do...



That blanket might be comforting, but you with all the distracted driving issues we've got these days...



Keep your eyes on the road, mister!



There you go, Zo!



Hey - no fiddling with the siren!

Not to be outdone

Zoe's had her own cranky moments, not quite as wiggly, roll around the floor as Roman... Thumbs's okay

not a happy camper

Roman's had a cranky week.
Sickness? Tantrums?
Who knows. I'll go with the latter, especially since I've been feel quesy for the last 24 hours. I don't blame you kid.



Or maybe it was because I put gel in his hair to make another faux-hawk.

Do it yerself family portrait

Actually we went into a studio last week and should have those pictures NEXT week. Gotta have a good family photo once and awhile, makeshift ones like the one above scattered about.
I think the next round of "real" pictures calls for outdoor scenery. Zoe wasn't too keen on sitting still this time around, although we got a couple of good ones of her alone. Not together though, she kept going for the camera.

dadSongs: Surprise!

April fools? Maybe, if it were April.

I was shuffling the ipod and a song called “Guilty” by the Bee Gees comes up.
Is that Barbara Streisand I hear?
He he he

This isn’t a dadSong, but it reminds me of one that is.
Usually your dad is pretty bold about what he likes. He’s not afraid to admit it, show it. Unlike me, I’m a little more private. I’ll reveal in calculating ways.

On one occasion before you were born your dad had a cd playing in his car. I don’t recall the exact circumstances, but he had a sheepish kind of look on his face.
Barbra Streisand.
Barbra?
Not only Barbra, but “ Woman in Love”
Um, excuse me?
Huh?
Apparently when he was a little boy his dad would put on the lite rock station at night to go to sleep to. This must have been one of those songs playing as little Mikey tried to avoid going "night night".

On a related note there is a dj on a local radio station (Mary Lucia, the Current) who plays a "No Apologies" song at 4 o'clock during the week. Songs you might not otherwise hear on the station. I don't usually hear it, but once and awhile I'll catch it. Recently I heard the Spice Girls with the warning "Hipsters, hit the deck". Guilty pleasures. Actually I'm not sure what her definition is, but I'll say they are songs that you secretly enjoy (THE WIGGLES!).

On a self-disclosure note I have my own No Apologies tracks. That may have to be a separate line of posts. For some reason I remember a Dionne Warwick song that used to come on a lot at some point in my pre-school life. I had orchestrated some sort of routine (lip synching and hand gestures or something) when it came on. I'm sure I could figure out which song it was if I did some looking. What I remember is getting really excited when it came on and being really pleased with myself that I had such a clever routine. My memories are of me doing this all by myself in the living room. No audience. Just for my own enjoyment. Oddster.

Construction Zones

Over turned coffee table?



That makes for some good cllimbing apparatus.



It must be the mid winter "I need a change"! phase. We've been working on small house projects. Re configuring and shifting things. That coffee table has moved around. It's nice for us adults to have, but it gets in the way for Ro & Zo. It now sits tipped up in our bedroom (in daddy's way, let's see how long that lasts).

So...new high chairs... The old new kitchen table (old new= something new at the end of December) is being tested out in the old new playroom/spare bedroom/old office. We'll see how this all pans out.

Me, I'm happy. I've just hooked up my old monitor to my laptop and have a nice warm space (basements in the winter= no good) in our bedroom and a bigger monitor than the notebook affords. It's going to be nice when I'm looking at pictures again.

Woo-who-whoo.

Happy Valen-times Day*

Grandma Candy's at it again.
Dogs for each kid. Thank God they aren't real!



Toddler-proof though.

Fully compliant with being used as a giant pillow.

Or a bed. No worries.



And we don't have to tell Zoe to be "gentle". She now thinks that is synonymous with cat. She says "meow" (or more acurately "meowmp") when we say it to her when she grabs for one of the cats.

*(thanks Mr. T)

Yummy in the Tummy