what a great year

All four of us were laying around watching the "Cave" episode from the BBC "Earth" series last night (bats! It's a theme)  and I had to comment that it really has been a great 2010. I can't believe how much you two have changed this year. I mean you talk to us now and we can mostly understand what you're saying (:0).
Just looking back at pictures is fun. Even Zoe notices she had less hair!

I can't be comprehensive here (dinner's ready, Zoe's on the bed and is going to get into something she really shouldn't be getting into and Roman's WAY too quiet), but Happy 2011 guys. I'm sure it'll be full of fun times and exploration.

We love you SO much....

Now it's pizza time :)

Christmas Celebration #1, part 2

Your Aunt Mandy took down the stockings so that you would have something to play with that I wouldn't take from you. :)

And what did you find? Disney Princesses and Toy Story dinnerware. This always makes dinner time that much more fun. It doesn't always stop you from throwing the contents on the floor, or smushing it in your hair, but it does POSTPONE those actions. Usually.

This gave me the excuse to get rid of a few plates that had seen better days.

Lots of time for hanging out and visiting.

and unwrapping more and more loot. My goodness, you two aren't lacking. It's almost guilt producing the amount of stuff you get!  And you wanted to open up just about every box and get to the stuff underneath the clear plastic. And held down by twist ties, or sewn in with thread. Or both of those AND taped down. It gets more and more complicated. I held my position on the 160 piece food set. Nope, Zo. That one will have to wait until we get home.

Uncle Jared and Aunt Mandy did a little arm wrestling. And who won the left handed version?

Yeppers, caught on film (or is it pixels?) Mandy! As Jake, Grand Grandma Lawrida and soon to be Uncle Ryan (Cut off! You're cut off Ryan!) look on.

See, more visiting with "Shann..." You can say her name, but it kind of falls off for the last syllable.

More practice with your unwrapping skills.

And more vehicles. Never enough. This boy likes his vehicles.

And Zoe showed Grandpa and Jared a book of their Fall 2010 adventures.

I love this picture. Very sweet.

Soon to be Uncle Ryan helped Roman figure out his squad car. Makes sense to me. :)

Time machine back to the early 70's

Your Grandpa Jon has been hard at work going thru scanning, touching up and saving piles of negatives and slides that he's got laying around. "So you kids don't have to do it when I'm gone". Yeah, this is how Grandparents start to talk (I'm sure - I'm hoping - I will one day too). Here and there we get a picture. Here's what was in my inbox this morning.

A bit a of a resemblence to Roman?! The eyes have it.

I'm still astounded sometimes at how much Zoe looks like Mike (again, the eyes or more accurately the eyebrows). Very dramatic arch on that girl!  It's so funny how we've kind of crossed genders on some of the resemblances.  Although I guess I was told by my oldest brother Dan's friends that I reminded them of him too. Maybe in the gestures and things. It gets tough to see resemblences in your own family.

By the way, Grandpa Jon is looking for more traffic on his newly updated blog (a new years resolution perhaps), so give it a view:
http://jonniebegood.blogspot.com/

Christmas celebration #1, part 1

So...many...pictures... Just spent about an hour going thru Christmas pictures (and today's adventures) and I just don't know where to start! Chronological. Keep some order (why? Well, just because).

We had about a day and half of visiting time, the majority of it spent at your Grandpa Mike's house (I so much prefer 'Pipaw') and Pam's. (And Jared's and Amanda's!). Well, and Ozzie's. Don't forget Ozzie....a dog who likes to play with you.

There's ample opportunity for lap sitting, see Aunt Shannon above (Mandy on the couch).

And sitting on presents. ZOE! I think this particular one was Roman's, so I guess that's why you chose to sit on THAT one. And a nicely decorated tree. We spent a lot of time helping 're-decorate' the tree. Little hands can grab those bottom ornaments.  One our tree at home I just put on a few, non breakable ones. I put some at the bottom, but about a week before Christmas I noticed that they (and the candy canes) had migrated to the top, courtesy. Yeah, it's just easier to not make it available. ;)

And you got to help Grandpa give Ozzie some treats! Which lead to helping him with his food and water bowl too, but we won't get into that.

A stocking for Roman and Zoe! That was really sweet gesture.

Contemplating their next moves.

More cuddle time!

While Roman explores - Hey, more flameless candles. Verrrry interesting....

The challenge of sleep in a foreign land

I was going to say "no more pack and plays at the hotel", but the photographic proof below would make me a proven liar. When we got to our hotel the kids were a bit wound up, something we learned from our trip earlier this year. They have to touch EVERYTHING. Oh, a keyboard (for the tv, presumably). A phone. Now THAT'S fun. A remote (old hat). A clock (OHHHHH, lots of buttons to push). Paper, pens....A Bible (NO, Zo!). The heating controls. The safe (beep beep). The microwave (more beeping!). The fridge. The rolling desk chair. The lamp. The phone cord for Internet. The pen. The paper (again). It's midnight.  The chair and footstool (we'll just dump all our bags off of that, thank you). The dresser drawers. Oh, there's a pillow inside. Now the pillow's out. Now Zoe's standing IN the drawer (no kidding). Back to the heat controls. The safe. The phone (press this button and it beeps at the base across the room - that IS exciting, isn't it?). OH, the lineup of pack and play, bed, pack and play and bed acts as a nice obstacle course/bouncy house. 40 times back and forth. And again. And don't bonk into your sibling on the way back. 

Roman!

Zoe!

Time for nigh nigh! 

Which was a struggle, but I grabbed Roman and Mike took Zoe. After a little wiggling, we got them to sleep. Roman kicked me all night. Note the pillows strewn about and Roman sleeping perpendicular to the "accepted" sleeping position. (Acceptable, schmeceptable).

Zoe slept with dad, but he got her back in the pack and play. I found her this way the next morning. Blankie hooded - this is something you do that must be comfortable (still freaks me out).

The next night was a repeat performance, except your Dad had to go out and park the car and get some bags and I was all alone with you two. I think I told him on the way up "don't leave me alone with these two". That sounds bad. But....After no return from Papa after what seemed an eternity I turned off the lights, in an attempt to quiet things down. Roman settled in...Zoe screamed. Thankfully Daddy showed up just then and was able to calm you down. It was late. I was tired. Repeat performance on the sleeping arrangement, except this time Zoe woke up next to dad at about 6 and pointed silently to the pack and play. She wanted back in, where she slept for another hour and a half or so.

We love that you're late sleepers. At least for now we do :)

Why we always end up at McDonalds

So we decided to take a trip down to Chicago to visit family just before Christmas. Your Dad got a new minivan and was anxious to take a road trip. And didn't want to tell your grandpa, but just show up with it. Yeah, I don't know. It's his thing.  So off we went.  This van has a built in dvd player, which you enjoyed. We made it to Wisconsin Dells for dinner. McDonalds - the easiest choice. We can find something quick, easy, inexpensive and we don't feel too bad for leaving a mess. And you can scream if you want. Not that you want.

And you can take a bite out of Dad's dinner (nevermind you have your very own dinner).

And this particular Mickey D's was pretty cool. Lodgelike with tall ceilings and had a menagerie of animals all over. A carved bear, festooned with Santa hat and red scarf, by the fireplace, but also the taxidermied variety dispersed throughout the room.  A raccoon eating french fries. Another sipping a milkshake. A fox up on the rafters (that one freaked Zoe out, she didn't want to walk around on her own). A moose. Deer. Hmm. Animals are tasty.

But after dinner Roman was mesmerized by his happy meal toy. Don't ask me what it is, but he was intrigued.

On the way out Zoe wanted to see the arcade. So I took her in and there were some driving games, which she pointed out. "Drive!".

Later, in the car, she was getting tired. Getting cranky. Getting demanding. Here's an email I sent to Grandma Jane en route:
"We are an hour out and Zoe is squirrley. She keeps saying 'I want to drive'. Mike had his last cigarette this morning and we are having a gay old time."

Yes, the day he decided to quit smoking. Is this a good idea when we're cooped up in a car together for 7 or 8 hours?? No, not a good idea. And Zoe, you want to drive?!
Sorry, honey.

This afternoon we were looking at the color of Zoe's dolls eyes. I asked "What color are your eyes, Zoe?" She didn't miss a beat. "Pink!" Everything Zoe is pink, so it's an appropriate (but not accurate) answer.

Here she is with the pink kitty her aunt (!) Mandy gave her. She loves it. It is pink.

anecdotal anecdotes

It looked like Roman was chewing on something, so Mike asked him what he had in his mouth. Roman's response: "teeth!"


This morning I went downstairs to start some laundry. I thought the kids were sufficiently occupied for me to do this. It did get quiet. When I got to the top of the stairs I saw Zoe's blanket sitting on the floor. No Zoe. (Clue #1). Then I notice that the cookie tin from the neighbors was no longer sitting on top of the stove (clue #2). I went out to the living room and behold, a cookie tin and two little taste testers. I yelled and scared the heck out of Zoe, so much that I felt bad afterward.  They must have heard me coming because they got the top back on. When I looked inside two of the big cookies had nibbles off all around them (the chocolate crumbs on their face didn't help either). They're starting to get crafty.
I let them finish their cookies. But in their high chairs.

some more christmas

Around Halloween we picked up these battery operated candles, thinking we'd use them for pumpkins and such. That never happened, so I brought them out for Christmas. It seems we've got a collection of candle holders (this one from Albuquerque, this one from...Fridley (?!)). Displayed up high and out of reach of little hands. But not out of view. So after some pestering ("Roman hab it", "Zoe hab it"), I took them down.

Like everything, this became a toy. Or something for Roman to stack, sort, organize and carry around. Easy fun.

 Zoe likes them too. And she likes her tutu - a new bright red one for the holidays.

 Try as I might, it's still tough to get you two looking at the camera at the same time.

 But I like that Daddy's yawning in the background.
Apropos.

 Say cheese. Or queso. The last few days Roman has upgraded his "no" to "no way jose". Thanks Grandma Candy for that...It's kind of hard to keep a straight face when he's practicing his right of refusal in this manner. No problemo, Roman.

And the abominable snowman has surrendered his scary powers. I think after a few weeks out you guys are getting a little more  used to him. Maybe. Not too sure yet.
He's been a good protector of the tree - you don't want to get too close to this guy.

Grandma Jane's report of Christmas Eve

http://jane-inthemiddlelane.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-christmas-story.html

well captured. :)

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Time to wake up Zoe and get the heck out of Dodge and start celebrating Christmas Eve!

OH boy

Christmas time is here, it's all becoming a big blur... We just took a trip down to Chicago for two nights to visit family..photos and stories to follow, I am sure.

In the mean time a little Christmas light viewing. My favorite comment on this years lights comes from your dad, who came in after he had them put up in the front of the house and said "It looks like Mystic Lake {casino} out there".

 A little blinking, a little chasing...No ding! ding! dings! (but wouldn't that be nice?)
 

The little trees toward the front got buried in snow - all that is viewable is the star tree topper!

Everyone dancing merrily in the new, old-fashioned way

let the Christmas spirit ring

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

It's the holiday season

With the whoop-de-do and hickory dock....

Sometimes Christmas day kind of feels like a let down.  The fun, dear kids, is in the preparation. Your Grandma Candy came over a few Sundays ago and hung out while we started decorating with more gusto. Actually, your Dad did most of the work. We decided another year with the fake tree, so your Dad went to work on getting it all perty.

 

Grandma, meanwhile fitted you in antlers while we listened to Christmas music and generally made things more difficult for your dad.

 

Somebody and somebody got a surprise from Grandma. Rudolph and Abominable snowman suckers.

ARRRR.

And a new tree topper.

Yoda.

Force us with.

Grandma got a little cuddle time while watching some Christmas tv (Rudolph!).

Daddy had fun playing with the camera while taking a picture of the Christmas tree.

May the calendar keep bringing

Happy Holidays to you