All in a day....

From the mouths of babes, the most interesting comments will flow. This morning, we captured Prince Alec working on his verbalization of animals--monkey, fox, etc.--which resulted in the video below. Not quite the correct annunciation, but hilarious, nonetheless.

The weather has also continued its unpredictability--one minute sunny, the next rainy--and each time we set out to the park or to accomplish some errands, we've inevitably been caught by unexpected raindrops. Today is a perfect example...but as you can see, the royals don't have any issues with rain. They know now that, unlike the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz, they will not melt--and instead of being frustrated about not being able to go out, decided to enjoy some fresh air--regardless of the raindrops falling on their wee little heads. :) Let's just say that they were soaked by the time Queen Wendy decided it was time to head inside.

Chef Le Cruset....

He's not only a physician, he's a man of superior taste. Our brother, Erick. We recently traveled for a visit with him and his family, and upon entering his Palace by the Lake, were greeting by a newly renovated kitchen--which for a culinary person like Queen Wendy--was a dream come true. To further show the inner workings of his new lair, the aptly and self-named Chef Le Cruset prepared, with his own hands, a tremendously delicious meal of homemade pancakes, griddle omelette and home fries. It was an amazing visit as the cousins played together for hours and hours, the adults ate properly--as royals should--and Queen Wendy had a chance to prepare a meal in a real, gourmet kitchen! Now, she just needs to secure one of her own--courtesy of King Tony. :)

Look at the size of this kitchen! We have Princess Abby in the picture for scale. :)

Chef Le Cruset teaches us how to make pancakes....from scratch!

Cousin Adia with their new kitty, Kit Kat.

Jenny and Prince Aramis play building blocks...
Chef Le Cruset prepares homefries..YUM!

Summer in The Circle....

Since we are fortunate enough to reside on a cul de sac, our home has become a central location for neighborhood activities as we're safely away from main streets and there's always something going on in our front or back yard to keep the kidlets occupied. As such, we have some fun photos from a few summer afternoons at our place, our mini pool, and just out and about on The Circle.... :)

Prince Alec working on his cycling skills.

Is there anything more in the world that little kids love other than bubbles??? :)

Prince Aramis flirts with the ladies and struts his stuff...

The twin royals discuss their master plan...Mommy wonders what will happen next! Gulp!

What's this...? Laying down on the job? Get up, kids, get up! There's more fun to be had!

Prince Alec...getting ready for a swim!

Prince Aramis flashes his most gorgeous (and devious) smile before taking a dip. :)

Happy 7th Anniversary...!

On July 10, 2009, King Tony and Queen Wendy celebrated their wedding anniversary. It was a gorgeous warm and sunny weekend--just as their wedding day seven years earlier. Since their first date was on a boat, Tony and Wendy extended the theme with a gondola ride on the Charles River and its canals, prior to sunset. The scenery was breathtaking since Boston is a city best viewed from the water. Here are some photos we took--and yes, these are amateur (not professional). Proof that no matter who is taking the photos, Boston is the most gorgeous city in America! We hope you too will enjoy since we certainly did! :)

A Sunny Day....

Above: Standoff between the twin royals....It's 'Tunnel Wars' at its best...

Below: Alec gets a ride from neighborhood friend Jackie...

Finally the warm and sunny weather has embraced New England and the royals are spending tons of time out and about enjoying all that the region has to offer. Today, we ventured to several local parks to enjoy climbing structures, tunnels and sprinkler parks with some neighbor friends since as of today, our family visitors have all departed and we're awaiting the next round of guests before we head out for some summer travels of our own. Here are the kidlets having some fun on a sunny day--which really is the point of sunny days, right--to have lots of fun??

Alec takes a stab at climbing....

Aramis hides out in a tunnel..he's so gorgeous! :)

Alec plays chase with friend Jackie.

Abby does her stairclimber workout for the day.... exahusting!

Abby enjoys a monster slide on neighbor Rachael's lap.

Alec heads out for yet another climb...

Visitor from afar....

And so it was, our niece Moorea hitched a ride on a plane back to the exciting township of Bismarck, North Dakota, and upon our doorstep soon after appeared a bubbly, smiling and imminently huggable Aunt Juliana from Colombia. She has been a breath of fresh air in our home--spreading hugs and kisses to all the Kingdom's precious royals, sharing incredible stories and of course, motherly widsom since she is infact, mother of four children herself! No one would believe this however as she's got more energy than we do! While the rain dampened her spirits a bit during her first week in the U.S., she has since enjoyed several beautifully sunny days and will get even more sun upon reaching her next lengthy destination of Miami, Fla. Uncle Mario, Auntie Carmencita and their crew will host her visit--which is bound to create a stir on Ocean Drive. The "Latin Invasion" will then surely be complete!

Until her departure however, we're highlighting all the wonderful views and experiences that the Northern New England area offers, and spending quality time as a family... priceless.

King Tony and Prince Alec hit the beach!

Aunt Juliana with her little bambinos!

Prince Aramis tackles his Papa...we're thinking football will be his sport (or wrestling?)

The results of a day with the royals--pure exhaustion. Our munchkins have boundless energy...until they reach the family chariot. After that, all bets are off!

Prince Alec takes a cat nap before the evening's festivities...

Notice the similar leg and butt structure between father and son?? :)

Maine's coast....just breathtaking!

Below is evidence of Aunt Juliana's amazing influence...teaching Spanish to our one-year olds!

Abby and Alec play a game of 'peekaboo'....

MoMo's Visit....

They arrived on our doorstep last Friday afternoon and ever since, King Tony and Queen Wendy have derived a new respect for parents of teenagers! They are independent, stubborn, self-motivated--all the things I'm sure we too were once, but somehow, we've forgotten all about it! Our lives are filled with significant responsibility--not carefree days and nights. We don't get much sleep--yet these gals sleep until someone rallies them awake with a blowhorn. It's such a wonderful time--"teenager-dom."



Princess Abigail and the twin princes have enjoyed time with their cousin Moorea and her best friend Sara. Both are energetic and sweet and have tried hard to figure out why the kingdom's munchkins are constantly whining, screaming or fighting. It's amusing to say the least.

The 4th of July is tomorrow, a time when we not only honor a major milestone in our nation's history, but a day when we are thoughtfully reminded of Princess Abigail's arrival at home after a two-week stint in the NICU. We were so joyous to have our first born home for the holiday that from 2005 on, we opted to celebrate Abby's life with fireworks too! Happy 4th of July to all! :)

Mo and Sara outside with the 'oompa loompa' fire hydrant.... hahahahaha!

The girls at NIKE vollyball camp graduation...sweating like pigs after a few days of non-stop volleyball play!

Mo stands up to receive her "Player of the Week" award. So cool that she earned it. What a rock star!

Alec hanging on the slide....

The girls threw Princess Abigail a Princess Tutu party for her 4th birthday. Aren't they so cute?

Prince Aramis reminds us that he's going to be the football player of the family.

Number Four....

Don't worry, we're not expecting again (yet, anyway!) :) Today, we celebrated our eldest child's 4th birthday--along with Father's Day! A dual celebration for two of the kingdom's very special folk--the King and Princess Abigail. After a weekend filled with friend's birthday parties and backyard BBQs, we opted for a low-key family party at home. Abby's big party takes place next month (more details to follow). Here are a few photos of the kingdom's precious little ones enjoying cake and presents.

And, Happy Father's Day to ALL the great dad's who read this blog!!

Abby's choice for a birthday cake: The Hungry Caterpillar cake

The birthday girl herself--having a snack....

Abby and her brothers all get in on the action of opening presents

Some more than others....

Daddy reads an inscription within the pages of Little Beauty, a book gifted to Abigail from her Godparents--Abra and Peter

The birthday girl dives into her birthday cake--the head of the caterpillar! Notice the gorgeous Happy Birthday bow--compliments of "Auntie Wendy" who recently launched an awesome online boutique--ChicBoutiqueCreations.com!

Alec sits back after filling his belly with yummy cake....He's ready for a nap!

Aramis enjoying his cake--the frosting he leaves for Abby--who can't get enough!