Mermaid Mayham and a Non-Scarey Clown

Vegan organic mermaids.
Mermaid onesies. Reeses said "Birthday Girl".
Stairs = No Mermaids Allowed.
Scariest pinata in the world. Devilles mom was nice enough to mention that Ms. Mermaid has the face of a blow-up doll. EW. Did we just go there?? (She does though!)
Stylin' in the sock monkey pj's. Thanks sock monkey. You aren't such a jerk after all.

So here are some birthday party pics. I don't have many since I was running around after at least one one-year old. Rich and I think they had a great time as evidenced by thier total anarchy when it came to naptime. They just wouldn't take one the whole day. Loved the clown (sorry no pics) and so did Ella, Deville, and Aunt Joanie! Ok a side-bar about the clown. Rich and I sooooo did not want to get a clown. But we were walking around Christmas shopping and realized we were going to have all of these kiddies (and adults) stuck in the house for a couple hours. What else could we do?? So I started calling around, pricing clowns. This is quite a complicated business. I was offered puppet shows, face painting, cotton candy "circus style", helium balloons, story time, sing-a-longs, and magic tricks. I really wasn't looking for more than 1/2 hour of baby entertainment without freaking any of the kids out. One place offered me a 90-minute clown. Seriously? I can barely sit in a movie for 90 minutes. I broke it down as just give me a couple puppets, sing-a-longs, and jokes, no dare to be great situation. All in all, lots of fun. Luckily he didn't show up intoxicated. (One company ASSURED me that they screen all of thier clowns so they don't show up "intoxicated". You thought that was just a clown stereotype. Apparently not.) Ok, back to the party, the girls got to boogie down to thier favorite tunes like "Old MacDonald", "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and the "Ho-key Pokey". They did love the spinach lasagne for lunch the next day and also all of thier awesome friends and family that made thier first birthday so special and fun. Thanks Slappy. That was his name. Kinda wierd right?

Rich and I have decided not to buy them anything for Christmas thanks to all of their friends and family too. Our living room has been taken over by Ollie the Octopus (ok, we gave them him) and activity tables and animal trains and shape cookie jars and a mini-kitchen (hopefully they will not go into nutrition like thier mom although we have ruined them as far as thier food tastes. No cupcakes, goat cheese and cucumbers pleeeaase mom!!

One

Lily wasn't all that into the cupcake but we did catch her smiling. Maybe she is smiling at the cottage cheese to the right.
No words.
Post-party VIP bath party.
Not a birthday picture but is this normal? She loves celery.
Sister love.

Happy Birthday Lovies!!

We can't imagine our lives without you and could not ask for more. Really. It is so hard for me to look back at the last year and think that it is over, but on the other hand things just keep getting more fun. I say to Rich everyday, can they really do anything cuter? And then the next day they do. Today, Reese pointed at a glass of water that she wanted. She never did that before. Lily could not stop hugging her new tickle me elmo. Reese was glued to the TV watching her new Elmo video laughing and smiling. I really do not know where we would be without them and going through life and chemo all over again.

Sure its hard but how can we complain when we have four bright eyes looking at us laughing over the side of the bath tub. We are so lucky to have the friends and family we have that have helped us through the past 2 years. We know that the people around us are 110% loving, understanding, and the best best best. We know it hasn't been easy for them either and we cannot express how much thier friendship, love, and patience has helped us get through it all and continues to keep us focused on getting through this now.

Anyway, back to a giant Happy Birthday Lily & Reese.

You Rule.

xo

MomMom& Dad-ee

Last Day of 11 Months!!

Rich loves this picture of Lily. Kinda a punk rock Lily in her black knit hat. Did I mention how much Fugazi she has been listening to lately?
Blocks taste good on front teeth.
Bad Santa picture but you get it. Lily is having the time of her life, not crying.

Hard to beleive they only have one more day to live it up as 11 month olds. How the hell did they get to be one so quick?? Rich and I were in the mall this weekend looking at baby clothes and I realized that they are also toddlers, not infants anymore. Not that they just turned into toddlers as far as label on clothes go, but as Rich put into perspective for me, "They are still my babies to me.".
Right.

Oi to the World

New hat at Janie & Jack. It has reindeers on it. She didn't take it off for about 1/2 hour.
Lily in her hat.
Post-Santa craziness.
OH-MY-GOD-I-JUST-SAT-ON-SANTAS-LAP happiness
Love.

Kissing Santa's Butt

Sorry again, no pics but soon!
Lily and Reese have learned hugs. They hug each other, a stuffed Santa head (kinda funny), and Buddy, thier giant teddy bear. Its so damn cute. I seem to say that alot. Today they were alternating hugging Santa head. Then of course they look at me like, Ahem, so I had to get in on some of the action too. We need lots of hugs in this house these days and they are so in-tune to that is just nuts.
So I go to pick them up today from daycare anticipating thier "school pictures" only to be told they didn't happen. At least for Lily & Reese, who decided they didn't like the picture lady and freaked out the whole time they tried to get thier pictures. I hope this isn't a sign about how it will go with Ole Santa probably this weekend. I can already see Lily&Reese&Mom on Santas lap while Dad stands cracking up on the sidelines saying, "I'm not going up there". Yup.

Ok, working on pics. Promise!!