Zoorific!

The Browns went to the zoo yesterday. I was very surprised at how nice it was. I can't believe I have lived here for 14 years and had never visited before. Angus was really into the monkeys, who were really silly and playful, (which he calls oooh-aaahhhs) and the dirty old camels, who basically stare at you and act kind of creepy. Me...I'm partial to giraffes, who just move around in slow-motion and beg for food. They're kinda like Nipsey! I was amazed at how many of them there were. Next time we go, we have to ride the Skylift.

Bye Bye, Bottle!

What has two thumbs and loves milk? This guy!

And this guy....

But the big guy had to switch from this

to this for the new year.

Mission accomplished. Double oh seven is looking good so far. Now we just need to get this dude some teeth and voluntary muscle control and we're set.

Adios, 2006!

Farewell, 2006.

Made with Love by Grandma

My mom has been sewing like crazy for months and months so that Angus could sleep under the world's greatest quilt. I am so in love with it. It is an original design and completely one of a kind...just like Angus. My Supermom sets the bar pretty high for mommy-ing standards. Actually, she and my dad set the bar high for longevity of relationships, too. Today is their 37th wedding anniversary. Now that calls for celebration. Here's to many more happy years together, Mom and Dad! I love you both beyond explanation.

More Christmas Fun

Scared of Santa

Here it is folks.... the 2006 Santa picture. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Incidentally....

A building downtown has these fantastic super-shiny elevator doors that reflect beautifully. Perfect for self-portraiting. Check out Tony wrangling and wrestling with Angus mid-tantrum in the background. Ahhh, to be two again.

Pretty!

We tried to find a Christmas tree tonight and had no luck. Every other year of my life, there have been Christmas tree stands set up in just about every parking lot on earth. Not this year. Probably because this is the first year we've been in the market for one. So, after a fruitless half-hearted search, we went downtown to see the Christmas lights. Angus ran around, mesmerized like he had never seen such beauty before. And that little sucker is fast, let me tell you. Not in a, "wow, my kid is hard to keep up with" kind of way. I mean FAST. Zippy. Presidential Fitness Award fast. Look away for a second and he's gone fast. It was rad to see him truckin' around all filled with the Christmas spirit, or too short of a nap spirit, or whatever it was. I was with him on the giddyness. It was really pretty. Coincidentally, that is what Angy says whenever he sees Christmas trees & lights. Its really cute. There really is something kind of magical about such a large area covered in twinkling lights and filled with happy little children running around giggling themselves silly.

'Tis the Season

Christmas is so close I can smell it. And it smells like beef and cheese. ( i love you, will farrell)
Last year, some friends of ours took their firstborn for his first of many Christmas visits to see Santa. They waited for like 3 hours and paid over $20 for this priceless photograph. While my kid's picture included a more "animated" (i.e. alive) Santa, Lil' Owen's shot definitely goes down in history as THE BEST SANTA PICTURE EVER. It's a damn shame that the Santa in their picture has since been dethroned. Rumor has it that he was seen recently, training in a crop of new mall Santas in a not so holiday seasony Hitleresque fashion...all yelly and dictatory. I feel for his elves. I like our Santa way better anyway. Willow Lawn has the real-deal-Holyfield of all the Santas-For-Hire. Tony and I are taking the kids to see the man in red next week. Angus will most likely scream again. And I betcha Sleepy Deuce will be doing his sleepy thang. I'll be sure to post the picture. Where the hell did 2006 go?

Deuce Dropping A Deuce

Giving it 100%, Brownstyle!

Which Kid Is It?

One is of Angus, the other is of Noah. To me, looking at Deuce is like travelling back in time 2 years. I can only imagine what it feels like to be a grandparent, or great-grandparent for that matter. Seeing your kid's face in another's is so wonderfully odd.

Finders: Keepers...Losers: Weepers

This post was not popular with the grandparents..............

Ton Ton Baby Warmer

It was nippy, so we had to stuff the baby into the warm corpse of a Pooh bear, Ton Ton style.

Why is Angus so Angry?

Because Tony and I farted on his back. He has declared war, however. And I hear paybacks are hell.
(We have decided to make a game of seeing just how many creative places we can write fart and document by photograph. Play along at home!)

Me in a T to a T

rustled up some old photographs a while back. this is by far the greatest of the batch. (trent, mark, holly, joe circa 1978 or 1979)

Why My Dog Rules the World

Regressing Much, Are We?

Angus attempts to squeeze into his old digs.

Halloween 2006

This Week We....

This week was Noah's first week home. Adjusting to life with two kids has had its challenges, but so far so good. I had a bit of a reality check on our first outing in the car on Halloween, when I realized that getting two kids into carseats is not as easy as I thought it would be. I suppose it will be easier when I get more practice, but right now the thought of it scares me shitless. Angus is handling things really well, though. Today, Angus actually kissed the baby for the first time. Unprompted and out of the blue, he just walked up and gave Noah three kisses while we were at the library. And the other night, he said "Don't be sad, Noah." when the baby was crying. It was the first real full sentence Angy has said so far, and it was a great first...so compassionate and sweet. But, on the flip side, Angus has demanded that both my mom and Tony "take baby to mama" so he could have their undivided big-kid playtime attention. It is as if he has accepted that I have to hold the kid, but he refuses to give up his Daddy or his Nanna. Halloween was good....Angus was a skeleton and we took the kids to Hanover Avenue's Trick or Treat Extravaganza. Angus didn't really trick or treat, but he had a good time taking it all in. And Noah seemed to have a pretty cool 1 week birthday.