Visiting with the grandparents....

It's been a very difficult summer. King Tony and our family have experienced the loss of not just his mother, but his father as well--all within a two month period of time. The sadness is palpable, and for Princess Abby and Princes Aramis and Alec, an extremely large void will forever exist in their lives since Tony's parents are no longer with us. On a more upbeat note however, Wendy's father and stepmother have resurfaced from their extremely busy retirement and recently popped by the kingdom for a visit with the little ones. It was lovely to see how the kids interacted and Abby even welcomed them with her superior signing skills and a great big smile that melted their hearts. (that a girl!)

Other positive news is that the video series for which Abby traveled all the way to Salt Lake City to be filmed in is being released October 1st! We're so excited to see how the final cuts were made and hope that our precious red head made it in one or both of the DVDs so we can one day show her how all her hard work paid off and how lucky she was to have been able to meet her idols Rachel, Leah, Alex and Lucy in person! Baited breath holding begins now..... Check out the company's site at www.signingtime.com for further updates!

Alec gets some one-on-one time with Grandma Lu
Grandpa Frank hangs on tightly to Prince Aramis since he's now walking and on the move!
Grandma Lu gets a turn with Aramis...
Abby giggles like crazy with Grandpa Frank.

Could this be her rendition of 'stinky butt' bubbling again???? :)
Grandpa Frank takes Alec for a walk. He seems very happy to be on his feet!

Adventures on the North Shore....

Fall has finally arrived! Yippeee! Fun in New England really begins this time of year with tons of seafood festivals, do-it-yourself pumpkin and apple picking, hay rides, corn mazes and all the bounty we've come to cherish here in the land where the pilgrims first gave thanks. Our weekends are typically adventure-filled (although we leave plenty of time to get chores around the kingdom done too) and this past weekend we enjoyed a birthday party and a trip to Maine's southeastern coastline.

Now, what are we looking at? Papa called them waves and said it was the ocean, but it looks like a whole'lotta water to me. Crazy adults--they make things so complicated.

"Woo--hoooo!!!!" Princess Abby pulls back on the reins as she rides a pony at her friend Avery's birthday bash.

Party weekend, continued....

The party weekend began last Thursday, you know, when Uncle Mario and Auntie Carmencita (from Miami) arrived in Boston for a visit and King Tony returned from Colombia bearing a delicious treat from Aunt Juliana--OREO cookies with strawberry yogurt filling. As soon as Abby caught sight of the OREOs on the counter, she was on them like a hungry mosquito to a juicy human! The three photos below are the aftermath of tasting the unique OREOs from Colombia, which the company does not market here in the States--go figure!! Thanks Juli!

Princess Abby dives in to not just one, but five yummy Oreo Fresias!
Alec has had his fill, although much of the cookie remains on his face and the high chair!
Prince Aramis is searching for yet another one--but mommy said 'no more for now...'

Fortunately for us, we enjoyed a lot of quality time with Tony's relatives -- Mario and Carmencita--who may be the most positive and kind-hearted people I've yet met. Nothing seems to deter their 'live for today' spirit. Beyond bringing tons of gifts for all the family members, Mario and Carmencita shared themselves and their stories with all of us. Their visit will not soon be forgotten, and they keep encouraging a trip south to Miami... Now, if we could just figure out a way to pack up three kids, two strollers (one double, one single), three convertible car seats, two diaper bags and a partridge in a pear tree, we'd SO be there! :) Maybe in a few years...when kids can carry their own stuff and are potty trained.

Look at those handsome mugs!! Generations of the A-team....

Latin Men Gather to Encourage Argentine World Cup Victory

(Above photo: Tony, Aramis and close family friend Alexis)

Birthday Celebration - Take #2....

It's In the Can Party...featuring none other than....

OSCAR THE GROUCH

Squeeze cheese art. Whoever makes the best, gets a prize!!

Daddy takes Aramis down one of the super slides!

Alec and his loving Godmother, Laurie

The kick-butt bouncehouse/slide combo. Everyone's favorite!

Oscar's favorite song, "I love trash" (compliments of King Tony)
Handmade decorations/party favors out of recycled bottles and newspaper! Go green!
The infamous 'Kitty Litter Cake' makes an appearance.... It was gone in 5 minutes!


So, we did it...we planned a party and threw it with vigor! The twins' "It's in the Can" celebration introduced several families to squeeze cheese art, fingerpainting with pudding, poopie diaper throw and a party-ending food fight! We hope all our invited guests had fun and weren't too thrown by our crazy antics as we absolutely loved seeing the smiles on all the kids faces and had fun getting really messy. The twin princes slept until 9:30 a.m. the next day, which told us that we must have done something right. A good night sleep--oh my gosh--it's amazing!!

Birthday Celebration - Take #1...

The twins have turned 1 year old! In celebration of this momentus occasion, we planned an "It's in the Can" party which incorporated a focus on recycling and trash alongside Sesame Street pal, Oscar the Grouch. While the party took place the day after the boys official birthday, below are photos of the twins and their big sister getting their first taste of real sugar and mommy's favorite food--birthday cake! Happy Birthday to Princes Alec and Aramis!

Aramis goes in for the grab....
Alec steals his Oscar from daddy.....
oh my goodness, where did it go?? He's too fast!
Ugh! What happened here? Was it a slime explosion?
And of course, Princess Abigail shows off how much of a lady she has become--using her fork instead of her fingers and keeping her face and hands nice and neat. :)

Fingerpainting .....

While Mom was sequestered in a jury room all day (well, the basement of a church across the street from Salem Superior Court, actually), our au pair decided to have some sweet and messy fun with our little ones. Just in time for their big bash this weekend (It's in the Can Party) celebrating their first birthday, Princes Alec and Aramis enjoyed some much deserved 'get messy' time while fingerpainting with pudding, marshmallows and M&Ms. What better way to spend the day when mom and dad are gone for a few hours?

And, the final results of their efforts are below....Ta Da!!

They are practically Picasso understudies.

First steps, and a show of musical talent!

This past weekend included another milestone for one of our little cherubs. The twin princes, who have been cruising for several weeks now, are starting to take independent steps. Prince Aramis, with his daredevil antics, took his first steps on Saturday. Below is a video of him walking to our au pair.

And, during playtime on Saturday, mommy couldn't help but toy with her kids a little bit. All of them love this musical maraca (which also provides colors and numbers in both English and Spanish)--no surprise given that their father is Colombian. Anyway, into Aramis' shorts went the maraca...and the rest...well, you'll see from the video. He's hilarious....! :)

Abby's First Day at Pre-K...

Many parents, I'm sure, are thrilled when their child begins their school career. I, however, am not one of those parents. Well, let me rephrase. I'm a parent with very mixed emotions. On one hand, I'm excited about my eldest child starting school as neither her father or I imagined a day like today would come--on schedule, no less. At the same time, I miss my daughter--terribly. For three years, I've nurtured, cared for, played with, disciplined (when warranted) and enjoyed Princess Abigail. Today, she starts pre-K--and not only for a few hours, but for six straight hours. During those hours, I will not hear her laughter or singing. I will not see her engage the twin princes in play, nor will we be able to experience a battle of wills at lunchtime. No, three other ladies named Lauren, Ginny and Carolyn get all that enjoyment...until 2:30 p.m. M-F. It's a new era for us as a family. The boys already miss her --and I'm sure she misses them. They look around pieces of furniture to see if she is there. They crawl from one room to another seeking out their big sister. Alas, she's no where to be found. :( Incredibly, Abby went off to school with her teacher, Miss Lauren, with no tantrums, tears or issue. In fact, she left my side quickly and with ease. This bummed me out as I would have hoped for a little separation anxiety--if nothing more than to prove that I mean something in the life of my daughter. Alas, she loves her teacher (who happens to be an incredibly woman, by the way) and already has procured several friends--her favorite of which is Colleen! So, I'm waiting by the phone--expecting Miss Lauren to call and say that Abby needs to be picked up, but if I know my daughter as well as I think I do, she won't want to come home to the chaos of her brothers. She'd rather be with new friends, in a new place, with new adults--and far away from the kingdom. Now, if I could just figure out how to concentrate on work, rather than mommyhood.....

Abby enters her new classroom. Welcome to Mrs. Jurta's Pre-K!
Abby grins from ear to ear with Para-professional Ginny
Abby considers making a run for it.

I've got Mommy's keys...and I can drive a car, so..should I or shouldn't I..?

Mrs. Jurta (M) prepares to take the entire class to the playground. Abby's friend Colleen (L) is going to hold her hand. :) So sweet.

What a way to start your first day of school--with the hand of a good friend and your teacher. :)

Last days of Summer....

With greater than normal rainfall this summer, it barely felt like summer here in New England. Alas, Princes Aramis and Alec and Princess Abigail have found many ways to keep busy both inside and outside the kingdom. Much sadness has befallen the kingdom as of late, yet as a family, we depend on each other to get us through the tough times.

Our little munchkins have been absolutely integral in this effort as each smile or laugh that they give, or word they utter, melts hearts--even those other than Daddy and Mommy!

Alec and Aramis take out the A3 car for a spin...
Coincidence? Alec is wearing a basketball jersey...AND searches the house every day for his basketball..... Hmmmmm.....
Not a coincidence. Our son WILL play basketball. Mark our words!!
When Daddy is away, the kiddies will play.

Scenes from Movie Night I...blankets, snacks and Mom!

A scary point in the movie Happy Feet,

or a physical depiction of just how similiar siblings can be???? You decide.

Eating and sleeping..or is it sleeping and eating?

After looking at these videos, you let us know which one comes first...since we can't seem to figure it out.

Twins taking another nap during dinnertime....

Abby showcasing her self-feeding skills. She's a master and is now teaching her brothers how to self-feed!

Our crazy kingdom...

Now that all the little ones are mobile, we must find things to do to keep them occupied while they are in motion. Some ideas, of course, work out better than others. This past week, we started building forts and obstacle courses, since the twins enjoy going under things and pulling up on anything that will hold their weight, while Abby is more like her mom--a steamroller. Here are some videos of what we do to keep busy when it rains in New England....

Introduction of 'Forts and Obstacle Courses'...

Whammo!!

Look who's hiding now!!

Tubby Time (and I don't mean, Teletubbies!)

Believe it or not, we regularly bathe our children, although we attempt to make it more of a fun activity rather than something we have to do... We think they get the idea and thankfully, all the kiddies enjoy their bath time...with and without their siblings. :)

Abby and Alec
Prince Aramis loves to splash!

'Hey bro...whatcha doing? Oh, water splashing...ooooohhhh!'
Abby signs the alphabet and encourages her brothers to learn sign language quickly so they can keep up with her!

Snips and snails and puppy dogs tails.....

Peek-a-boo! Where is Aramis??? Hmmm...carpet picnic maybe?
This is what happens when little boys become interested in where the food is stored....
...and they call in reinforcements.....
Don't mind us, we're just ripping all the cupboards apart--well, at least those that don't have super-steel locks on them!

What else is there to say...we have boys...TWO of them! They are cruising and into everything. Opening every drawer and cabinet they can. Ripping apart books, chewing on anything they get their hands on, and are always on 'the hunt' for something new to devour. We were warned by friends that Abigail was a dream child and that boys would be new territory...and so they were right...and we're loving every minute of it!