Something you may not know about robots

Tonight, in response to being asked to open wide so I could floss his teeth, Milo informed me, "Robots - do - not - open - their - mouths."

Coincidence

This afternoon, I was sitting next to Lucie reading a book about coincidences. Lucie was working on a 540-piece spherical puzzle of the world. We worked side by side in silence for a while, me thinking about coincidences and her looking for puzzle pieces, and then she said, "Whenever I'm looking for a piece, and I say, 'I need number 42,' I look down and there it is."

Christmas

Lucie and Milo's every materialistic wish came true.


Milo asked Santa for a shooter with fire.




Lucie made this vase for Nana and Papa.


Daddy got rocketship pajamas just like Milo's.


Coats from Aunt Diane.


Lucie got a Nintendo.


But the best gift of all was being with our family. More pictures are in the Boo Blog Annex.

Next up, our trip to Michigan.

Anakin Guy

Milo trying to impress his girlfriend.

In case you need help remembering all the words, here's the original.

Jon's birthday party

We arrived early and helped decorate.




It was Jon's big 5-0. His ribbon said, "It's my f--king birthday!"


Lucie modified her ribbon to say, "It's NOT my f--king birthday!"


The Yeltsin mask.


The kids played with balloons.




Milo did some dancing.




Milo wants Santa to bring him a laser pointer cat toy. Santa isn't sure that Milo is responsible enough to have one just yet.


If you have kids, you'll recognize that it was time to go home...




...but not before cake was served. Jon's "Death by Citrus" cake was delicious.

Woodland fairies

The holly fairy and the shepherd's purse fairy.

Although you can't tell from these pictures, it was really cold outside.

Snowflake show

This was all before Molly turned Lucie on to SnowDays. Search for flakes by Lucie in Durham, NC to comment on her virtual snowflakes.

A Short Sad Tale

Trip to the dentist

Milo had his first trip to the dentist recently. Lucie had her appointment at the same time.


The kids got to choose sunglasses, so they weren't blinded by the light.




Disclosing tablets -- ugh.




The kids were total champs.

A message from Lucie

You ruin me

One of Milo's more creative figures of speech is, "You ruin me." That is what he says now when you make him really mad, for example, by telling him he can't eat chocolate before breakfast. "You ruin me, Mommy!" Since we have never said anything like this to him, we imagine it is a creative application of a word that he has, actually, heard quite a bit, as in, "Milo, why did you tear up this magazine? You ruined it."

I guess I've been ruining Milo quite a bit lately. This morning, when I made him change out of his pajamas, he told me, "You are a terrible mommy. I don't like you." And then, "You are going to DIE." Later, at least, he came up to me and said, "I love you, Mommy. I don't want you to die."

Happy Halloween from Lucie

Peaks of Otter

Immediately after returning from New York, we went camping with friends at Peaks of Otter, Virginia.


Lucie used a timer to take this picture.


There was an amazing apple tree full of apples. Jacob and Gavin roasted apples in the fire, and Jason made an apple tart. We also ate our share straight off the tree. And we saw deer eating the apples.


"Are we at the 'Balance Rock' yet?"


Some of us got to see a Civil War reenactment. Here some renegade Union soldiers are stealing the Johnson family's hams and cider. You can see Lucie standing there, right in the middle of the action. It was weird. The Confederates swooped in at the last minute to save the day.


Milo played a lot with sticks.


More photos are in the Boo Blog Annex.

Trip to Brooklyn

We took a trip to Brooklyn to visit our friends Shannon and Erica. It was wonderful. There was a bit of crying when we had to go home. Here are some of the highlights.


Sunrise at RDU. Milo said, "It looks like mango juice."


Can you remember Milo's first flight?


Breakfast in Shannon and Erica's garden


Drawing with chalk in Prospect Park


Goose watching


Tree climbing


Subway riding


Coney Island


T-shirt making


Museum going


Pigeon chasing


Drinking a cherry-lime ricky at Tom's Restaurant


Crashing

More photos are in the Boo Blog Annex.