Santa Claus is coming.....

Well, he actually arrived a little early for a visit with local neighbors and friends recently, and the royals had the pleasure of hanging with Mr. and Mrs. Claus for a short while. It was an exciting day at the Morning Travelers playgroup (http://www.morningtravelers.org), although the day became even more exciting when Mr. and Mrs. Claus dropped by to check on the kids and determine which ones were 'naughty' and which ones were 'nice.' Fortunately for Tony and Wendy, their kidlets received goodies from Santa Claus---which generally means that they've been good. :)

Alec gets a 'high five' from Mrs. Claus...although all he wants to do is eyeball Santa and get that gift he's holding.... (one track mind...)
Aramis fares better and is surprised when Santa gives him a gift! :)

The crowd begins to gather.....

Abby is fascinated by the man and woman in red. She thinks Santa is pretty darn hot!

She tells him that she wants "a doll house and books...."

...and to make certain that she gets what she wants, she lays a big 'ol smooch on Santa. (We're pretty sure it'll work...). :)

Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

Sniffles, stuffing and sweets.....

The last two weeks have been a complete blur in the kingdom. After packing up our royal chariot for a trip south to Arlington, Raleigh, Charlotte and Richmond for the holidays, we were off on one wild adventure. The royals enjoyed a brief visit in Arlington and our nation's capital, and quickly ventured south to Raleigh for an Avery Family visit, at which point, the health of the royals turned south as well. The sniffles began and the photos below prove how one microscopic bug can take out an entire family (or two for that matter....). So, back into the car we went on our trip back home to avoid infecting anyone else. After a very quick visit in Richmond (where the kids spent hours in front of a closet mirror....) to say HI to Uncle Chuck, we arrived back home just in time for a delayed Thanksgiving feast and holiday preparations. The royal kidlets put together their annual advent calendar (above) and we're putting final touches on our holiday decorations. WHEW! We're now preparing for our next travel adventure--and hope that we've kicked the 'winter bugs' so that we can fully enjoy our next trip...sans sickness!

King Tony and Prince Alec asleep in Raleigh....things move pretty slow down south. :)

Aramis and Abby take over the Avery's new Genevieve Gorder-designed couches. They are not only beautiful and stylish--but totally comfortable--as you can see..... :)

Cutie Cole Avery has a little lunch....he's adorable!

"Craft night" included the making of advent calendars. Since we have one gifted to us by Big Brother Erick and his family a few years ago, we now help other families create their own to enjoy this festive favorite! Fun, fun, fun!! :)

The entire 'Kid Crew' in Raleigh--dining around the island, chatting away and talking about plans for the day. And so it begins....coffee talk! :)

Alec and Abby posing in the closet mirror post-bath. We enjoyed some sweet accommodations during our travel and the kids just loved checking out new places! :)

The Season Begins....

Our church's annual Snowflake Fair is this weekend--a fact that doesn't mean much to anyone outside our immediate area, we're sure. But, to us, it marks a significant time of year given that the Fair takes place the same weekend--year after year. Our family gets involved, of course, but at home, we begin preparations for our holidays. The Christmas tree will go up, holiday greeting cards will soon be mailed, house decorations will be hung and an immense amount of food will be prepared. It is a time of year when we welcome guests near and far (or travel to see family and friends) and time when we give thanks for all we are and all we have. The last year has had its share of challenges, but we've also experienced some amazing joys through distant family visits, strong friend bonds and new connections we never knew we would have. So, as the Thanksgiving holiday rolls around, we hope you too will give thanks for all the good in your lives. And, if you are north of Boston tomorrow, check out the Snowflake Fair and buy some of our homemade, handcrafted gingerbread ornaments! :) Special orders are now also being accepted...... :)

They sure do look good enough to eat, and prior to covering them with ribbon, glue and fragrance, they were delicious. But now, they are for decoration only...made with all natural ingredients and now destroyed with all the fake, man-made stuff we could find in our crafters basket! :)

Are you ready for the football.....?

...because WE are! Now that the Red Sox season has officially ended, the Kingdom is in full swing with professional and college football. The San Diego Charges and Alabama Crimson Tide are getting lots of good fanfare from our neck of the woods. King Tony has corralled the twin princes into this circle of football love--although he never wants his sons to play football--just enjoy it from stadium seats. We'll have to see just how long that lasts.... Anyway, here are 'Big T' and 'Little T' who both appreciate the fleet-of-foot antics of San Diego's 'LT.' Go Chargers!

King Tony and Prince Ari this year....and in 2007. Some things change, while others, stay just the same! :)

Sushi Time...Take II.....

We believe we created a monster. In the kingdom, Saturdays have been designated as special days as King Tony takes Princess Abigail out for swimming and then, out for a date to enjoy a sushi lunch together--which is Abby's favorite. However, when swimming is cancelled, that leaves a bit of a quandry. To avoid changing their routine too much, Queen Wendy pulled out the bamboo mat and nori and turned some delicious leftovers from the fridge into Abby's favorite sushi! I guess homemade handrolled sushi is being added to the Kingdom's 'specialities' for visitors. Seafood anyone?

Hand rolled sushi before cutting....looks a little like a caterpillar without a head, right? :)

The final platter. Delicious sushi for the family.....yum!

King Tony presents Princess Abigail with an entire tray. She seems pretty pleased! :)

An ode to Mommy for making homemade sushi....yeah! Worth every sesame seed!

Happy, happy Halloween!!!!!

Back in the late 1600's, New England played a very important role in our country's rich history. Salem, Massachusetts, also known as 'Witch City" is the site of the famous witch trials--a series of hearings through which more than a dozen people (women and men) were (wrongly) accused of witchcraft (in colonial Massachusetts) and thus, put to death. Some were hanged. Others were crushed to death and the remainder, died in prison. The episode has been used in political rhetoric and popular literature as a vivid cautionary tale about the dangers of religious extremism, false accusations, lapses in due process, and governmental intrusion on individual liberties. These days, Salem leverages its place in history and the Halloween holiday to capture and entrance and prey upon the fear of many who travel from across the globe to experience the museums, haunted houses and galant balls and events organized the entire month in celebration of All Hallows Eve.

Salem neighbors the Kingdom and during the month of October, the rich and tragic history of Halloween is brought into full spotlight North of Boston--via psychic fairs, history lessons and of course, full blown execution of the commercialization of Halloween--"trick or treat." The Kingdom and its royalty did not miss out on said events this year and enjoyed balmy 70 degree temperatures while 'battling the empire in search of edible sweets.'

Happy Halloween to all!

Our Princess dressed as R2D2...the 'undercover robot'

Queen Wendy and Prince Ari as Princess Leia and Chewbacca!

King Tony and AKA as Han Solo and R2D2....

Prince Alec as C3PO...who just happens to eat animal crackers... :)

Prince Ari...in his 'Chewy' uniform....

The dump....after we return from trick or treating....the time when parents review the booty to insure its safety (and to also hoard the goodies we want since we too did all the walking--but don't get any of the free treats! :( So unfair!

Look at this sexy beast...Han Solo.....

The 2009 version of Princess Leia! Hee....heee.. (hair danishes still in tact). :)

Hmmm...what to eat first? The somewhat nutritious animal crackers, or wait... a very large and not nutritious at all Hershey chocolate bar.... No contest! :)

Our sweet nanny Carol with Prince Alec after carving jack o' lanterns....

This is what you look like AFTER eating your Halloween goodies! Covered in melted chocolate and super high on sugar. Look at those eyeballs! He's ready for an all-nighter! :)

Can you believe it...look at this guy eyeballing the chocolate and trying to figure out how to get some more....he's so sneaky!! :)

Alec at the park earlier in the day...getting some exercise in before the trick or treating festivities begin. So cute! :)

Prince Aramis in his day-time Halloween garbe. Just stop taking my picture already!

"That freakin' flash bulb is blinding me!!! " :)

Look out now, 'hot' Han Solo is on the prowl..... :)

Grandparents visit....

Just a few short days ago, the Kingdom welcomed the Bulawa grandparents. Not only did they come bearing gifts (for the King and Queen, of course), but brought with them fresh blueberries from the ranch and prepared dinner for all. It was a welcome treat to say the least, and Princess Abigail, and the twin princes, adored spending time with their grandparents--who played ball with them, did a nature hike, collected leaf bouquets, and many other fashions of lunancy.

It was a very pleasant visit for all.

Grandpa Frank and Grandma Lu play ball with the kidlets....
Prince Aramis gives a little love to the camera....

..while Grandpa Frank and Princess Abby hide from it!

King Tony and Grandpa Frank hard at work in the kitchen preparing homemade Chinese food, which Grandpa has perfected using all sorts of fresh ingredients--and shrimp with shells-on!! :)

Grandma Lu and Alec....

Video of what grandparents seemingly believe is important to teach their grandchildren. 'Leaf boats, anyone?' Nothing quite like pretend play, eh? :)

And the most fun and relaxing treat of all--driving mini match box cars and trains up and down Alec's body! Talk about sensory overload!! :) He loved every minute and keeps asking his mother and father to imitate what Grandma Lu did---

but only the grandparents seem to be able to do it right! :(