VA Beach Camping/Father’s Day

Posted on June 18, 2014 by squinks under Della and Friends, Della and George, Della and Mommy, George and Daddy, George and Friends

We went camping with Marc, Megan, Adrian, and Beatrice. We touched a frog, we got lost, we saw mermaid daddy, we read The Lolackths (Lorax).

Here we are in the back seat, on our way.

George and Beatrice put stuff in their mouths.

Others hung out in hammocks. I wish I could find the picture of me and Steve in the hammock with Marc on our camping trip in 2010. But I think it’s on an old hard drive that weighs as much as an iron and has a cord that is not USB.

This is like the most casual sleeping situation George has ever known.

More typically:

Turning now to Father’s Day. Steve does so much for me and the children, next-door-neighbor Dorothy gets mad at me sometimes. You don’t know how good you have it, she says in her 80-year-old, Irish Catholic, Fairfax County way. Probably not!

We love him, and we would not have survived in the wilds of 1957, Dorothy, when wives did all the things that wives back then did.

Della made this tie-dyed-T-shirt picture frame for Dad. Or anyway somebody made it. We have all these daycare craft projects on the fridge, and sometimes Della walks by and says, “Michelle made that.”

Couple of expired flower pictures to round things out. We love you, Steve!

Annie Birthday

Posted on May 22, 2014 by squinks under Della and Friends, George and Friends

Annie turned 3 years old, and Della learned about how birthdays aren’t always her own. My pictures of the event are limited to mostly the ball pit because soon after Della asked to be taken inside so she wouldn’t have to witness the tragedy of so many presents going to somebody not her.

The balls were only one layer deep, but the kids didn’t seem to notice.

Here is Della hanging out in a plastic car, not even having any fun, just trying to gain squatters rights.

I have this feeling that George and Annie are going to have a special thing.

Happy birthday, Annie! Thanks for being such a sweet and powerful girl.

Too

Posted on March 26, 2014 by squinks under Della and Daddy, Della and Friends, Della and George, George and Mommy

Too is the new one. Used to be, “I want this one!” Now it’s, “I want it, too!” Which means, “I want this one AND that one,” or “I know you want it; I want it, too.” Too can also be used to add emphasis. Can mean, “I want it a lot,” “I want it now,” and/or “I want it more than you.”

Or, more traditionally–

Bappa, after getting a hug from Della: “I needed that!”

Della: “I needed that, too!”

Speaking of also, Nanny and Bappa came to visit.

Clothes off; playground, finito!

Dinosaur birthday party. Bappa didn’t think he wanted to go, but afterwards he wouldn’t stop talking about it.

Look, it’s my friends Steve and Amanda. Even though Nanny and Bappa missed their plane and got in too late to babysit, we got to go out anyways, that’s how much fun we have. Thanks, Linda.

Here’s Della threatening us with a knife while George sucks on a lid loosener

Announcement: George is getting cute and friendly.

So attractive, Della tries to sit in his lap.

Thanks for the visit. We needed that.

The Glory of Nice Days

Posted on March 22, 2014 by squinks under Della and Friends, Della and George, George, George and Friends

George is being exceptional.

Della Two

Posted on February 9, 2014 by squinks under Della and Friends

Second birthday party today.

This was the scene before the guests arrived.

Ama was here to hold the baby and help us get ready.

Then everyone got here. Della was so excited, she threw up twice. There was an aggressive balloon and bead parade led by Paul and dancing to club music, also led by Paul. Linda brought a ham and Costco made mac and cheese. We opened presents. That’s Paul in the fairy wings and rainbow tutu.

Everyone ate cupcakes.

Annie wins for best impression of her photo from Della’s first birthday.

Beatrice would’ve won but she wasn’t here last year.

Neither was this guy.

This party is boring.

I’m too handsome to smile.

Love you, Della!

Della Haircut

Posted on January 16, 2014 by squinks under Della and Friends

In anticipation of Nanny’s visit (and also because the ladies at daycare had been combing Della’s hair back with water to keep it out of her eyes), Della got her hair cut.

No, she didn’t cut it herself, as was suggested by one of these same daycare ladies. Asymmetrical haircuts are increasingly popular with the toddler set. See for example cousin Annie.

Paul

Posted on January 14, 2014 by squinks under Della and Friends

Uncle Paul ventured east for some very exciting times in wet and wintry Northern Virginia.

Paul slept in Della’s room and reported that Della talks and sings in her sleep. She does her signature Baa Baa/Twinkle Twinkle/ABC medley and also lists the names of everyone she knows: Duckie, A-roo, Elmo, Mama, Daddy, Baby, etc…

Paul (literally) showered Della with gifts: a complicated water wheel, a swimming mermaid, and a squirty star fish, which della calls Twinkle Star.

We (again!) visited the Natural History Museum, fixed dinners, and went on this walk:

Paul offered to teach Della some discipline, but Della politely declined.

George was also involved. See him attached to me here at Mt. Vernon estate? We were grateful for Paul’s assistance in attending to George’s needy needs. Paul said it was a wonderful adventure visiting our family, and he is grateful to have learned from this experience that he only wants to ever have one child. No offense intended nor taken.