Summer '13

Fourth of July & retro trunks

We invited ourselves to Abuelos' house for the Fourth of July, mostly to escape the smokey air from the Alpine Fire by our house.  They provided the pool, we provided the hamburgers and corn.  Here you are sporting your new but old-school, retro swim trunks made by mom.

Vacation '12

We haven't been on vacation since I was pregnant with you. The thought of going on a vacation seemed like so much work to me, I couldn't really think of it for very long. But you're two now, and we really needed to get away. Get away somewhere new, maybe have a couple moments to ourselves. So I committed to all the work it would take to prepare to go on a vacation with three small children and most of all with you.

To sum it up, I would say you acted like a drunken midget the whole time. You were rude, disrespectful, annoying, you fell over a lot, you walked off a lot, you were too loud, stayed up late and your behavior was generally irreverent. Of course, this means you had the time of your life. Here are some highlights of your first vacation experience.

I bought you a tiny stroller to make our travelling life easier.  The damn wheels wouldn't roll under your weight and I had to drag you and the luggage through the airport.  Please remember to thank me for this one day.

Airplane behavior -- 8 out of 10.  No crying, no screaming, no demaning for 99% of the flying time.  There was some annoying kicking of the seat in front of you, a couple "I dropped my bear between my seat and the airplane", and maybe one "I want food right now, this very minute".  Overall, excellent flyer though.

Attempting to sleep like a civilized human being with your siblings in a queen size bed - 0.

Not yet a big fan of museums nor of Ancient China.

I like this.  I like to run wherever I may.  I like to grab on to unsuspecting strangers.

Hmm, those look so cuddly.

OK, I'll tolerate this heat and interruption of my daily nap for a few more minutes.

Big boy chairs, real cups and straws.  I like this.

I love my sister.  Isn't she like a second mom?

I don't know why all these people look so bored at this mustering meeting on the ship. 
I love grabbing people when they least expect it.  It's so funny!

Wow, I can see everything from this elevator.

Oh, you're going to take a picture.  Here, let me give you my best picture face.

Yeah, it's super isn't it.

OK, OK.  I'll sleep with the other kids as long as I can sleep on the foot of the bed facing the wrong way.

This is a very interesting bus ride.  It's like I have my own private view of it.

This place sucks.  I'm sick and tired of being here and I just got here. 
Sofia keeps going on about how they are going to sacrifice me like the other babies and throw me in the river.

Duh.  I just wanted to take a nap in this hellish heat.  I'm much better now.

I wish I could go in there.

Cool.  I'm just like the other kids.  I can do this thing.

I'm having a lot of thoughts here.  I think I might like to go in there. 
I think maybe they might let me this time.  There's other kids in there. 
I'm wearing a swimming suit, I think.  I don't really know what these shoes are about. 
But I'm almost sure I can figure out a way to just get in there.

Would you like a fine confectionary cheerio, monsieur?

To hell with table manners!

I'm glad we reserved the whole island to ourselves.  Let's order some drinks, Marcelo.

Gosh darn it! I drank too much again and someone painted my face!

I think I'm still inebriviated even the next morning. 
Wait, this is how I've been on the whole vacation!!!  Ha ha ha ha.

I am done.  I don't care how far you walk away from me.  I'm going my own way.

Ice skating

Yes, that's right.  Ice skating.

No, this was NOT my idea.

I could also entitle this --Righting all the wrongs of my parents when they didn't let me ski on a family skiing trip even though I was eight!  ... whether you like it or not.

But this wasn't my idea.

Not sure how Ray thought this would work out.  (He probably wasn't really thinking how it would work out). Even Sofia thinks there's something odd about this situation. But basically, you did NOT enjoy watching everyone else skate.  And, you did NOT enjoy being put into skates either.  It's a miracle Ray came out of this with his manhood still intact.  But don't you look so adorable in those little skates!

Washing up

I like to wash the dishes one at a time in the sink instead of dunking all of them in the dirty water together.  The same goes for the kids.  But when you're in a REALLY big hurry and the kids REALLY can't go to bed without a bath, you just do what you have to.  And then, of course, they end up having way too much fun.

Table manners

You don't get out much. Not like the other ones did. So we generally don't get too excited about going out to a restaurant with you on the seldom occasion this might happen. Today, after numerous fun-filled activities for the kids in Salt Lake, we just needed to splurge at Rodizio Grill even if we had the whole caravan with us.

This is how much you enjoyed it.

And done.