first gift

Water for Christmas, who would have thought? I didn't. It's amazing what my $20 donation will do...

Every day, 4500 mothers bury their children due to contaminated water. They are forced to sustain their families with a diabolical liquid that contains both life and death. This lack of clean water is the leading cause of death in underdeveloped nations. And it just doesn't have to be!

So as we gear up to scurry through department stores and browse endless catalogs in search of new jeans, Tonka Trucks, gadgets and dolls....we are pausing. We are pausing. And today, November 13th, we are buying water. Clean, life-saving water.

$10 will provide one person in Africa clean water for 10 years. It will literally change and possibly save someone's life. A mother. A child. A brother. A grandfather.

We are rallying together for a cause. Clean water. One day. $10. Asking everyone to let this be their first gift. Let water, let life be their first gift of the season. 

i'm on the black team, you're on the blue team

I'm not quite sure why Kieran's favorite color has changed from orange (which I think is a very cool favorite color, not mine, but just cool) to black (which can obviously be a favorite color, but I never associate it that way), but it has. Maybe for the same reason that he has really taken an interest to soccer. Don't get me wrong, Kieran loves golf and has been playing since he was 18 months old. He had clubs and his own golf bag from both grandfathers before he could walk! Erik would love it if Kieran continues to play golf, and I think he will, but you should see the joy he gets from running as fast as he can, and kicking the ball with all his might. Like this:

And this:

And this:

My mom has video when Kieran was around 18 months (maybe younger, I'll have to check) dribbling a soccer ball across a park field. Not taught, just natural. We'll encourage him to play whatever sport he likes (Please dear God, don't let it be swimming, we've heard swim meet stories from too many parents; seconds of glory and hours of waiting in the freezing cold...I HATE the cold! At least with soccer, even if it's cold, there's a lot more action!). I can't imagine Kieran choosing not to play sports, it lights too many sparks in him that he exudes sheer happiness whenever he is playing them.
And, when you do play with Kieran, the latest is that he is on the black team, and daddy or anyone else for that matter, is on the blue team. Sometimes everyone is on the black team (when he's tired of the ball being kept away from him :) ). He played and played and played...

and finally, tired himself and took a rest with his sister in the backyard hammock.

Life is good.

trick-or-treat!

Start of the night...almost didn't wear his hood again!

Until Daddy told him that he looked like a "Kieran" and not like a dinosaur...the hood went up immediately.

And they practiced their best cat and dino pose :)

Attempted to take a family (minus me) shot...but the cow had other plans for the evening.

Our very first stop was our neighbors house, who had a haunted house in their garage, it was pretty cool!

Kieran doesn't look especially happy in the picture (awkward shot). Maybe it's as if to say, "Mom, you're lame, you're not wearing a Halloween costume like the rest of us!" I promise I'll do better next year!

How cute are these trick-or-treaters? Too bad I cut off Anna's face :(

By this point, Anna has really caught on. Though she says everything else in complete sentences at 18 months, I couldn't get her to say trick-or-treat. No, instead, she walked right up to people's candy bowls, grabbed, and said, "Want one!" I made the mistake of giving her some chocolate along the way, so every few minutes became, "I want more candy!" oops.

"Ha, Ha, Ha", he says in his spookiest voice.

"How did he get in there?", she wonders.

She figures it out and attempts to copy :)

One street loop later, Kieran says, "I'm tired. I don't want to go trick-or-treating ANY-MORE".

So I tried with all my might to get one last picture of the two of them together in costume, but this was as close as I got.

And then there was one.

They sorted through all their candy, which sadly, has seen my tummy more than I care to admit!

And another holiday checked off the calendar...really glad the next one doesn't include a costume!

18 months

In case you're wondering, every month (for both of my kids since they were born), I take a picture of them at their monthly milestone. The 27th of every month for Kieran, and the 28th for Anna. I am usually pretty good about remembering, but this is the second time I almost forgot with Anna, oops! Not wanting to miss the date, I every so carefully, ever so quietly, opened Anna's pocket door to her room, tip toed in and took a couple of shots, just to make sure that I got my 18 month photo on the 28th. 

Her hair is a bit crazy, but whose isn't when they're asleep? Well, maybe one exception, Anna's favorite baby.  :) Sweet slumbering girl(s). How time moves so quickly...

you say it's your birthday...

Monday was Mom's real birthday, but we had her over for a birthday celebration on Sunday that began with Dad painting (yes, my room has been in perpetual painting hell for months now and still is), and us taking a trip to our beloved zoo. 

This was the end of the night, but we forgot to take a picture at the zoo, so I started with this one :)

In addition to taking Mom to the zoo, we also got to meet up with the Bell's (our good friends and Anna's godparents). Kieran has a few idols (our next door neighbor and Cousin Catherine-who will appear shortly), but his main squeeze is Elyse. 

They had a blast together...looking at the otters,

the turtles and reptiles,

climbing the big frog,

hanging out inside the turtle shell,

and riding the tiger coaster.


These two are so sweet together. You know it's "love" when they live 300 miles apart and are two peas in a pod immediately.


Anna fully enjoyed her day as well. It's a lot of fun to take her to the zoo now, because she is taking everything in at warp speed. She wants to do everything that the "big kids" do...

like climbing the big frog...

or walking right up to the glass to get a piece of the action,

or using her zoo key.
She is keenly aware of her surroundings and it is very important to her to say hi to everyone that she sees...

even if it's through a pane of glass. And what you don't see is the people on the other side whom Anna managed to catch their attention :)

She even watched the turtle as he ever so slowly hunted for the cricket that I'm sure had to have filled him up. If it didn't, I can only imagine that it takes forever to eat lunch!

A couple of thousand steps later, dreamland had finally arrived.

Perfect timing to fall asleep, because the sky ride is 20 minutes! Sorry for the blurry picture,  I zoomed in too far with my small point and shoot. I REALLY need to get my SLR fixed!

Still, are they not the cutest?

It was finally time to hit the road so that the B's could embark on their 4 hour excursion, and we could get back to the house in time for the family to come over for Mom's birthday dinner.

Typical boy, doesn't say goodbye to Elyse. Typical girl, Elyse stomps off.

Smart girl, learns that if she pouts (and this is one good pout, I might add)...

she'll get exactly what she wants. 
Way to go Elyse!

I tell ya', it was one happy day for Kieran. The zoo, Elyse, playing Top Gun on Nonno's iphone, and relishing every minute with Cousin Catherine.
And the other items that Kieran relishes?

Opening presents even when they're not his, 

blowing out birthday candles, even when they're not his,

not once, but twice!
And of course, eating the pumpkin bundt cake with rum glaze  (which looks different than the linked one because I used rum which made the glaze turn clear), twice :).

I was even demoted! He was so excited that Catherine read his bedtime story!
A good time was had by all,

all including Mom and Auntie Mary, and for some reason the big fat ZERO pictures I took of Dad, Erik, Johnny and Gina. Not sure what happened with that?

Yes, you already saw this picture, but this picture deserves to be posted a second time. My mom is the most selfless, giving, kind, caring, cool, FUNNY person I know. This woman lives life to the fullest, more than anyone I've ever known. She gets it. She knows that life is too short to carry guilt, hold grudges, sweat the small stuff. She knows that life is so precious, wonderful, that if you can't laugh at yourself, you aren't really living. She knows that life is all about family and friends. She knows that life is helping others, even if they are perfect strangers. She knows that God listens and she listens in return. My mom, my idol, my friend.


You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too--yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party.

I would like you to dance--Birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday
I would like you to dance--Birthday
Dance
I love you mommy!