Family Pics

Back in November my sister was visiting and helped us get some family shots. It was impromptu and tricky to get smiles, but here are some we ended up with:

Netflix

Dear Readers,

Q got Netflix from my sister for Christmas and is having all sorts of fun finding movies and shows to add to our queue. However, most of them seem to have an action-ness about them. He claims he'll add any QUALITY romance or comedy that I come up with, but really I have no idea what is out there. Suggestions? Absolutely no tear-jerkers or emotional-manipulators allowed. What are the best romantic comedies or must-see films lately (meaning since 2005)?

Thanks,

B

Is it possible to do a non-child related post?

Probably not, but Q suggested some of our readers out there might be interested in things other than pictures of our kids (what?!). So, here goes:

Books gathering dust on a shelf waiting to be read...

and a whole bunch of other ones from my sister's blog

I just started this exercize video while waiting for the running trails and warmer weather (we're suppose to get 4-6 inches tomorrow)

It has 3 levels and I am still unwilling to move past level 1 -- maybe when I can do push-ups off my knees (though I should get some slack since I've been doing them with G adding resistance by pushing on my back). The workout is only 20 minutes which is my wimp-perfect time. I think I'm a fan -- if I were better at Facebook I might even like it.

I'm working on figuring out how to better run the home with respect to house cleaning and chores. I think I'm going to be ready for a grand unveiling to the family sometime next month.

We're gearing up for L's bday and since she has NO NEED for more toys I decided to theme her gifts around cooking. She has Wednesdays (shrimp fried rice tonight) for dinner and I think she'll be more excited about it with some new things that are hers in the kitchen. She just got an apron and my sister is sending cookbooks. Other ideas? Here are some I've found:

Nylon knife set

Safety vegetable peeler

Pancake pen

And just for good measure, here's a fun site that I found right before Christmas that has lots of unique gift ideas (it's where I first saw the kitchen items, but Amazon is cheaper -- especially with the free shipping if you're a student. Amazon is my friend.).

Who wouldn't need:

For those of you who felt this was a useless post seriously lacking pictures of cute children, I'll post a video of G eating his cake tomorrow. And I still need to do his year at a glance. So no worries.

Baby G Turns ONE!

The Birthday Boy

When I was brainstorming ideas for the cake I asked C what some of G's favorite things are and he gave an enthusiastic, "OUTLETS!" So, I know the cake's not much, but note below that he didn't mind.

Waiting for the cake

Testing it out

Devoured

This week was a big one for Baby G. He had his 1st bday AND took his first steps on the same day. He is an adventurous explorer and nothing seems safe from his reach. Today I couldn't keep up with him -- I would be cleaning up one mess and turn around to see him trying empty the Kleenex box or standing on toy to reach up on the table to get a marker to chew on. Some of his favorite things: the garbage can (which I have to blockade behind the dishwasher), the dishwasher, stools, the vacuum, outlets (as noted above), music, the bathroom, cords of any type, getting chased, stairs, cupboards with LOTS of things inside. He is so happy and sweet and it's amazing he survives the love from his siblings.

Research on Autism and Vaccines

Although I'm not exactly passionate about them, I have a passing interest in a couple of public health topics like this one. For those people who like to read about this kind of stuff, you can find a short, interesting article in the New York Times about a very influential study being plagued by misrepresentation and fraudulent practices.