Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

Last weekend Jack, Bronwyn and their cousin Gracie went on a wild experience to the Atlanta Zoo. Beautiful weather brought all the animals out in droves. Here are some pictures and see all of them on picassa google (click on image on bottome of blog...the photostream.)

Jack's favorite was the giraffe. So much he is considering becoming a giraffe boy!

Gracie's favorite were the Flamingos. So much for a moment she became one.

And Bronwyn, well...she loved the peacock so much she stole their feathers. HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Jackisms III

Playing Hide-n-Seek

Jack: I can't find anyone.

Mom: You have to try hard.

Jack: I am trying real hard. I am just looking in all the wrong places!

Jack Getting in Trouble

Jack: Aw Mom. But I am your son and a REALLY nice boy!

Jack Explaining His Behavior

Dad: Why don't you ever eat your lunch at school

Jack: Just how I roll Dad, just how I roll!

Love...its Exciting and New

Come aboard...




Happy Valentine's Day. A day of new...

• Jack got a NEW toy camping kit and declared "I got it, AT LAST!"
• Mom got a NEW bottle of wine.
• Dad got NEW slippers.
• And Bronwyn got a NEW teacup toy.

And to keep with the new...Happy five month birthday little girl! New things this last month...

Bronwyn rolled from one side of the twenty foot family room to the other. Here she is making her way back.

Bronwyn has another new toy. Her feet.

Bronwyn has a new skill. Cruising...okay...maybe that's a stretch but the girl LOVES to stand and has about a 5-10 second "standing power"...longer if we are holding her hands.

Watch Him

Watch him...really watch him. He isn't check out. He isn't distracted. He isn't daydreaming.


He's observing.
Staring at the one star on the Karate room's map that is brighter than the other. Does it shine at night? Memorizing the color order of the belts and wondering when he will earn the camouflage one. Noticing his green stripe is not perfectly aligned and determined to fix this. Watching the class before him and memorizing their routines.

Watch him...really watch him. He isn't checked out. He isn't distracted. He isn't daydreaming.


He's listening.

Listening to the sound the Karate school's air conditioner is making. Why doesn't anyone else hear it? Listening to the noise his pants make when he does his jumping jacks. Listening for his daddy's applause when he completes his routine.


Watch him...really watch him. He isn't checked out. He isn't distracted. He isn't daydreaming.


He's thinking.

Thinking about ghosts and where they come from. Thinking about all the fire hazards in the room and his escape route should one be needed. Thinking about what his teacher said yesterday and what his Dad said last week. Thinking about what to call a car without any wheels or a pool without any water.

Watch him...really watch him. He isn't checked out. He isn't distracted. He isn't daydreaming.

Wait, now he is...

Bronwyn Rolls from Back to Tummy

First she rolled to her side. Then to her tummy. She flipped back to her back. And finally learned to put it all together in order to perform a double roll across the family room and to Jack's toys. We give her a perfect 10.0.

Bronwyn learns to roll from back to tummy at 4.2 weeks

Who You Gonna Call...

Jack has completed his six-month long training to become an official Ghost Buster--complete with uniform, plasma gun and ghost detection devices. I realize this is not the typical, "I want to grow up and be a police officer" fascination. But it is SO RETRO!

It started with a catchy jingle. Then a YouTube music video. Throw in a backpack Jack converted to a plasma gun by securing a vacuum tube to it and a Lego-made gun to the other end. We hit a Def con 4 level around Halloween when he obtained a Ghost Buster uniform. But the deal maker...a collector's toy my shopaholic husband found on e-bay (and apparently paid collector's price for). Put it all together and a bona fide obsession is born.

I am not sure how I feel about Jack strapping an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back. I am not sure what I think about my four-year old slamming Slimer daily. But I do believe I would want Jack with me in the next haunted house I visit :)

"Hee-hee-hee. That was your whole plan? GET HER? Very scientific, Ray!"

I Only Have Eyes For...

Bronnie has finally discovered her brother, and boy is she a card-carrying member of his fan appreciation club. His head is swelled with pride. This evening as Bronwyn was in her new jumper laughing at Jack, he told me that he gets the loudest laughs...and so far he's right. But game on son...I have tricks you haven't even dreamed of (can one say peek-a-boo.)

Bronwyn has also discovered her third hand, a.k.a., the tongue. Everything is in the mouth. And she is reaching with both hands for her toys. I can almost hear her thinking ..."GIVE ME".

Born Free

Bronwyn was baptized this past weekend and it was simply a beautiful ceremony. She fell asleep after the anointing with oil. She stayed asleep while baptised with water only briefly waking to stretch her arms out. And she looked like a princess, did she not? The priest said "Well, you can tell this one is Irish, now can't you?" What gave it away? The fair skin? Or the three red-haired cousins that stood to her right.

Minni, Pop Pop, Aunt Meg (Godmother and Uncle Robby is Godfather), Sam, Gracie, Mike and Max all witnessed the event and celebrated with us for the rest of the weekend. Jack learned so much from his cousins including how to properly handcuff a prisoner, search for evidence and a bit about police brutality. Yikes! He had the time of his life with them all!

That man that kept following us with the camera, a.k.a., Pop Pop, was kind enough to share his brilliant photos with us...check out our Picasa web for all the pictures. (Just click on one picture at bottom of blog and it will link you to the album.)

God Bless Bronwyn Rose!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

This week Bronwyn started rolling consistently from belly to back. She's having fun with her new skill learned at 3.75 months.

Jack's First Day at New School

Jack started his new school last week. The letter of the week was N, they sang about the months of the year and had a visit from the Glitter Queen. What Jack really cares about is the toy trains and cars they have for him to play with! HA!

Jack with his new lunch box

Jack and his new nanny Michelle getting ready to leave

Jack in the car ready for school