Here We Go -

Places everyone......okay, we've got Mike Wazowski, and ankles - not together......oh man! This one could've been it - but, we've got ankle and eye issues...
...ankles together please, and John Paul - oh forget it! It's in the genetic make-up of 5yo boys to make faces during picture time.
Yes! We've got ankles together!! Joseph look up please...okay - this is as good as it gets folks! 3 seconds later and Charlie ended the shoot!
Happy and a Blessed New Year from our family to yours!
God Bless!

Behind

Here are a few pictures that I haven't posted in a week and a half...

While Paul and I were shopping yesterday, the kids saw a buck in the backyard who had missing antlers and was limping.

Like father... like son
The other toofer came out!
Dani was teaching Charlie to drink from a Big Boy Cup... but mostly because we couldn't locate his sippy cup!

I hope y'all are having a wonderful week!

Merry Christmas!

Mike Wazowski

That's who our 5yo - John Paul - is all about. EVERYTHING is Mike Wazowski. He says something referring to Wazowski at least 5 times a day. So it's hard to remember all the things that he does. But some of them have been quite hilarious and quite creative!



He puts on his shirt with one eye showing through the neck-hole, "I'm Mike Wazowski".


He sees a circle with a dot in the middle, "Hey, look, Mike Wazowski!".


He was eating cereal this morning and ate a hole out of the middle to the bottom of the bowl, "It's Mike Wazowski!"


He'll close one eye...


He'll put a googley eye on his forehead...


When we put our foreheads and noses together and do "one eye"...

He cracks us up!

And here's a little tid bit that we learned today: He makes cameo appearances in several other Pixar films such as Finding Nemo (while snorkelling), and Toy Story (as a toy). [is snorkeling really spelled with 2 L's? - I copied/pasted that sentence and had to add an 's' onto appearance and change 'fills' to films, so I'm betting that they misspelled snorkeling too!]. At any rate, we'll be watching Nemo and Toy Story at some point today!

Creepin' Me Out!

Who's seen this it their e-mail box?The sun below is a speck - one megapixel - before the white speck.

THIS IS A HUBBLE TELESCOPE ULTRA DEEP FIELD INFRARED VIEW OF COUNTLESS 'ENTIRE' GALAXIES BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

BELOW IS A CLOSE UP OF ONE OF THE DARKEST REGIONS OF THE PHOTO ABOVE

Nothing creeps me out like images of space! I know it's beautiful in a Godly sense and definitely wonderous and amazing. Yet... creepy!

Am I the only one?

UPDATE: CHANGE OF PLANS [was: Boycott]

Update: Because of the savvy comment reading by my friend Megan and her further research I am able to provide some further information concerning 'The Hewlett Foundation'. Hence the reason I took HP's logo off this post.

So - let me make this correction and make it clear: HP is not connected with this Foundation so there IS NO NEED TO BOYCOTT HP!

Thanks Megan ;)

Below is the original post:

We are definitely a boycotting type of family. It's not always easy to keep up but this company is just screaming for a boycott, in my opinion.

h/t: Therese

Drawing Online

I was doing a bit of research for a fellow hs-ing friend and came across this great resource for learning to draw. And membership is free!

Sweet!

Shoot Me!

When my 5 yo is reading to me - can you relate? - it's A-G-O-N-I-Z-I-N-G! Put me out of my misery already!!

Let me just back-up one quick moment and say that he really is a great little reader - pretty enthusiastic too. That's very nice. But when he's got a few new words that build up in to one story... ahhh... not so nice ;)

I'm having one of these for you too!

Cheers!

Can They....

... make a remote whose back would stay on? [!!!]

OR... at least make kids who don't take them off ;)

Rebooting America's Image

WASHINGTON, (AFP) – President-elect Barack Obama plans to give "a major address" in an Islamic capital soon after taking office as he seeks to mend America's image in the Muslim world, a Chicago Tribune interview said.


"I think we've got a unique opportunity to reboot America's image around the world and also in the Muslim world in particular," Obama said in the interview published late Tuesday on the Tribune's website.


Obama promised an "unrelenting" desire to "create a relationship of mutual respect and partnership in countries and with peoples of good will who want their citizens and ours to prosper together."


The world "is ready for that message."


While he described a fresh approach to diplomacy, Obama said his administration would not shrink from the struggle against terrorism, referring to the recent attacks on India's financial capital.


"The message I want to send is that we will be unyielding in stamping out the terrorist extremism we saw in Mumbai," said Obama, who gave the interview from his transition team's offices in Chicago.


The Tribune wrote that Obama "plans to give a major address in an Islamic capital as part of his global outreach" but did not quote him directly.


Obama also said he would be sworn on January 20 using his full name, Barack Hussein Obama.
During the presidential campaign, some of Obama's political opponents would refer to his middle name in an attempt to portray him as a secret Muslim.


But the Christian president-elect said he would follow tradition for the inauguration ceremony.


"I think the tradition is that they use all three names, and I will follow the tradition," Obama told the paper. "I'm not trying to make a statement one way or another. I'll do what everybody else does."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What exactly is America's Image, Obama?

Straight No Chaser Reunited

And just to go along with the previous post! This is cool!

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

Love the black guy during the 'Africa' song!! This is awesome - and i too, rmbr this from last year!

Thanks Danette!

Charlie's Cake

Dani let Charlie help with making his birthday cake on Wednesday...

Another One Bites the Dust

Sophia's first top-front tooth finally came out last night at a Mexican restaurant. We went to the vigil Mass last night and 5 minutes into Mass she came clamoring over to me from the other end of the pew - quite in distress! - "My tooth is coming out!" Let me tell you, she wasn't exactly quiet about it [right Kayla?!] :o) She just kept talking loudly - kind of a controlled freaking out, if that makes sense. I had to keep telling her to keep it down... we were at Mass after all. So I made a little tissue pocket for her that she held under her mouth the entire Mass.

For whatever the reason, Sophia just doesn't like the idea of her teeth falling out. I think she's got some fear that she's going to swallow it or something. On the other hand - she loves the reward!

I'm very thankful that it didn't fall out during Mass - so as not to involve everyone with the dramatics! I even envisioned Father stopping Mass to help the screaming flailing child who had... just lost a tooth! And I'm thankful that when it did fall out during dinner she happily informed me, "My tooth came out." And we put it in her tissue pocket and put it in her skirt pocket. She turned out to be a real trooper about it! Praise God!

STILL My Baby!

Funny how it seems so long ago and just the other day at the same time...

The last 3 were taken today - just busy playing with his toys. He could barely take the time to look at me! I really had to work it to get him to look up and then finally... a faint smile!

He may be 2 years old - but he's still my baby!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY CHARLIE!!