Lily had TWO birthday parties – a small family gathering on her actual birthday, and a bigger gala on the following weekend.

Owen had three birthday parties – one at a park, one family plus gathering, and then another happening this past Saturday that was kind of an unbirthday party in that neither Anna or I could stand to look at cake again. Owen seemed to be over the whole birthday thing as well. So instead it was a neighborhood barbecue. I didn’t take pictures, because I was preparing some ribs.

There are pictures, and at the bottom right of those pictures there’s a link to the album full of pictures – when I have made the album visible. In some cases, you can also click the pictures to bring up an album. If you can’t get to an album or a picture isn’t click-able, it’s probably because most of the other pictures in that particular album are crap, even by our standards. Or, there’s only one picture.

This album is technically pre-first-birthday-with-family party:

2012-03-12

We ate spaghetti with meatballs for dinner, which is a fun messy favorite. Followed up by a vanilla buttercream and yellow butter cake dessert. This is her actual first-birthday-with-family party:

Then we had the bigger soiree with friends. Less smiling and a lot more information processing as there were tons of adults and children alike running around:

From 2012-03-17 (by Eye-Fi)

Here are some random smaller albums between Lily and Owen’s birthdays.

First up – Lily got these refrigerator magnets, and the kids have, so far, been average about sharing them. Recall that Lily doesn’t really understand ’sharing’ yet.

2012-03-18 (by Eye-Fi)

Owen is a master chef:

From 2012-03-19 (by Eye-Fi)

It’s spring and everybody wants to be outside:

From 2012-03-24 (by Eye-Fi)

Now, Owen’s birthday! He didn’t nap on that day after having a long morning playing in the park and with Anna and I. So by the time his birthday party rolled around, he was a tiny zombie. But, not so tired to be left unable to open presents or eat cake. You have to have priorities:

From 2012-03-26 (by Eye-Fi)

One of Owen’s presents – lots of “I DID IT!” these days:

From 2012-03-27 (by Eye-Fi)

We hadn’t really exposed Owen to puzzles yet – but I think he’s starting to like them:

who’s the faces on the penny
on the penny
on the penny
who’s the faces on the penny
curious george washing dish

And:

who’s the faces on the counter
on the counter
on the counter
who’s the faces on the counter
neighbor lincoln

EDIT: Daddy got it backwards – neighbor lincoln is on the penny, and curious george washing dish is on the counter.

Almost a year! And three years!

2012-02-10 (by Eye-Fi)

There was a span of about one week where we could put this little bow in Lily’s hair and she wouldn’t pull it out. Now there’s limited success there – unless you distract her with something like, say, paper.

Owen helped me change some batteries in various toys. Lily is also very interested in what Owen is doing these days.

2012-02-11 (by Eye-Fi)

We had also tried to go see the big man the previous Friday, getting in line early but seeing the gross inefficiency of the line made us retreat. I waited in line with Lily for a good forty five minutes, to only see the line advance about twice.

We went to The Shops at Southglenn to go see Santa there. They have a big courtyard that is usually lit up with lots of Christmas lights year-round, and in years past, Santa has been outside near a big outdoor fireplace and under those lights. Except, last year, apparently Santa got pneumonia from sitting outside in the cold. So they moved to a different spot indoors.

The other ‘bonus’ about this is that it was free, and you are to bring your own camera to take pictures. Taking large volumes of pictures is something I am very, very good at.

So at about five o’clock on Friday evening, with cameras, kids, and gadgets in tow, we headed over to see Santa.

There was a small line. In front of us was a couple with a thirteen-month-old daughter. She and Lily were getting along just fine. Lily was in a great mood, smiling at everybody, clapping, and she was totally enamored with the lights and trees and decorations.

Owen went first, and he did really well given the last two years. I think he’s starting to get the association now. I also think he’ll be really sad when Christmas is over.

By ‘really sad’ I mean that he’ll probably be upset for about five minutes before moving on to something else, like with trick-or-treating at Halloween. The night after Halloween, after dinner he went and put on his hat and jacket and announced he was ready to go trick-or-treating again. We explained it was a once a year thing, and he just said “Oh, okay!” This reminds me that I need to get an audio recording of him saying this, because he says it in a very funny way.

Then we tried both kids together. I mentioned earlier that Lily was in a great mood, which you most likely (and correctly) understood was a precursor to this photo:

The bonus here is that you also get to see the peril of being your own photographer. It was a little dark in there, even with the teeny pop-up flash on the camera. Eventually the little Santa Sock Monkey won out, and she calmed down a bit.

Owen was excited to get outside and see more Christmas lights, so we kind of hung around a bit before going to dinner at Diego Zhang’s. We had never been, but in totally awesome family night style, we had a coupon and decided to give it a try.

It was a slider restaurant – tiny burgers. Lots of variety. Lots of small dishes. Then we rushed home to put the tired babies (and mama) to bed.

These things are the new best part of Christmas. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And I don’t want to forget.

But, know that for all the time I could’ve been arguing against myself in this post, I instead spent looking up hexalogy. Because sexology? Totally not the same thing.

I played the ‘first’ one back in 2001, but never finished it. I remember enjoying what I played of it before something else new and shiny came along. Joe liked it a lot, and generally Joe and I have the same tastes in games.

Except for UT insta-gay. Hate that crap.

Lily is officially nine months old, which is crazy to think about. Time doesn’t seem to go fast until you’re looking back and being introspective.

Compare:

Man.

I have been trying to use the video camera a lot more lately. In the very first video I took of Owen sleeping in this chair I remember sleepily, incoherently, and emotionally rambling how I never wanted to forget any of the moments, ever. But I have – we all do.

One day when I have a lot of time, I need to go through and prune our photo collection and get rid of photos like this one:

And, I need to actually edit and blend out the multiple videos I’ve gotten of anything that has ever been videotaped over the past three years. When?

In other news, Lily just crawled across the floor, pulled herself up on the coffee table (the pulling up is new today) and spilled Owen’s water. Owen dutifully got a towel, wiped it up, and tried to put Lily in time out.

In 2007, when the Rockies went to the world series I obtained a fitted baseball cap, which is probably the first hat I’ve ever had that has properly fit my head.

Mom & Dad got Owen his Virginia Tech (or if you ask him go Hokies) hat a few years ago, and it still fits. He won’t go outside these days without his hat on. “I need my shoes, hat, and jacket, Daddy.”

I don’t have a go Hokies hat. I’d like one that fits, so that Grandpa, Daddy, and Owen can all have go Hokies hats.

But, in the likes of unicorns and honest politicians, for Christmas I’d like a decent manager who is good at his job. Maybe I’m being unfair, but I feel like I’ve got a pretty honest appraisal at this point.