I'm BAAAAAAaaaaaack . . . for a little bit, anyway

So, I see it's been several weeks since my last blog post. Have you noticed yet that I blog fairly consistently for a bit and then take a LONG break before starting again? I'm thinking it's a pattern. Perhaps my blogging is somehow connected to the phases of the moon? It's possible.

Anyway, we've been back from our beach trip for over a week now, and I have 52 million pictures to share from that trip - most of them being my kids in the water (thrilling, I know), but before I can get to those, I have these few others to share.


Ben with the remote portion of his broken remote control car. I think he's saying "cheeeeese" in this picture, but I'm not sure. Whatever he's doing, I just cannot get over how BIG he seems to me lately. "I'm not a baby!" he constantly reminds me, and I'm thinking he may be right. However, the diaper wearing and passion for his bink beg to differ. He'll be 3 next month, and that blows me away.


And then, there's the princess. When, dear God, will she ever tire of the princess thing? I'm sure one day I will look back on this phase of her life with fond memories, but it is currently getting a bit old.

She's even started checking the back of the camera after I take a picture to see if that shot was a "good one" or not. I've also been informed that she no longer wants to be called "cute." Rather, she would prefer "pretty" because "pretty is better than cute."

Good grief.

I don't think Ben is trying to bite her face here; though, knowing him, it's totally possible. I think I just caught the wrong moment of a kiss on the cheek.

And then there's this:

Shawn's birthday was on the 5th. Thankfully, Claire allowed him to have non-pink icing on his cake this year. Though she still insisted on pink (strawberry) cake. I was going for a Wedgwood Blue china look on the cake decoration. Actually it's just a bunch of squiggly lines on blue icing, but whatever.

Please notice the party hats in the picture. The girls (me and Claire) wore Elmo hats, and the boys (Shawn and Ben) wore Mader hats. Classy.

As to why Claire is sulking in this photo, I'm thinking it's because I told her to let her dad blow out his own candles.



Did she listen?

No.