Just Milo

"Up-pah bed to yump off"

"Blah"

"Wanna kiss?"

"This is the smile that gets the girls!"

"This makes Momma nervous"

"Why can't I walk up this thing like Zoey does?"

What does a tiger say, Milo?

Cute, but my camera is too slow to keep him in frame.

Still a favorite toy!

This shirt is vintage...Vince wore it when he was a tot. Love it!

"Ah, my favorite place. Up-pah mama. " And I don't think he really cares about my destroyed wrist and arm.

Sickness Strikes Casa de Lopez

First Milo got it. It only lasted a day. Zoey was very sweet to him for the most part. Probably because he was incapacitated and unable to destroy her train tracks or dismember whatever train she had set up. I thought it was really cute how she tucked Lambie under his arm and snuggled him for a while. I suspect that this is where the main germ sharing may have happened...unavoidable though.

Then Zoey got it...it lasted 3 days and 2 nights. Poor baby barfed at least 30 times the first night and about 10 the next. Next Vince got sick...but I wasn't allowed. LOL Did I mention that the washing machine died on me during the first pukey load of bedsheets? Nothing spells fun like a stomach bug and toddlers! And what could be more pleasant than hosing off dirty laundry before trucking it over to Grandmas to wash. Thanks Jean for a week of laundry help!

Merry Holidays...

Our Holiday Card...


Our visit to Santa...Zoey did a lot better but Milo wasn't too happy. Maybe next year I won't have to be in the picture anymore.

These are the pictures that Santa took of the presents and candy he left. He also took one of the note he left for the kids. Zoey left him peanut M&Ms and a Bailey's. Lucky Santa!



Thanks Aunt Sally...the kids love both gifts!


Hmmm, this is all very nice but I'm missing something specific...


This is her face when she finally got the "Holiday Thomas the Train". Zoey saw it at the toy store and was on the verge of having a fit. We couldn't just leave it on the shelf and not take it home! (this was just after we spoke to Santa in person) So we called Santa on his cell phone (funny, his voice sounded a lot like Vince's) and I explained the situation to him then put Zoey on the phone so she could ammend her wish list.

Happy Halloween!

Pre-Halloween dress rehearsal. We did a costume parade at Senior Concerns. The caption that goes with the photo on the right is "I'm a bee, I'm a bee, I'm a bee, I'm a bee, I'm a bee, I'm a bee," LOL


Gorging on candy after Trick-or-treating.


Milo's saying "Damn, these stupid candies are hard to pick up with these stupid frog hands on."

More candy feasting...

Another BIG Race

While Big Sis was running her race with Momma, I was getting a real workout in all the bouncy houses. Before I say more, I've gotta ask why I keep forgetting to get some pictures of Lidia? She's such a HUGE part of our lives (not just the kids) because without her I couldn't do ANY of the training and racing that I do. She came with us to the race so that Vince and I could run the 5K and then she took care of Milo while Zoey ran the 1 mile.

I love all these pictures. There were so many, I had a hard time picking just a few to post. My favorite is bottom left. Looks like she's focused (that rare occasion, LOL) and driven...the others are great because she looks like she's having so much fun. Geez, I sure hope this makes a deep enough impression on her. She was so proud of herself...and so were we. And so was "Lambie" (her favorite stuffed lamb) who was waiting for her in the stroller under her blanket. When you throw in all those things (blanked and stuffed lamb) it reminds me how young she still is and how much it is to ask for a 3.5 year old to run a mile. GREAT JOB ZOEY!!

Running a race with Momma...just behind us is Ever and her mom, Allison.

This is the picture that made it into the paper. It was just the online version of the Ventura County Star but still...she finished and ran pretty much the way!

October...

Doesn't everyone have a picture of what they did to a younger sibling (or what was done to them by an older one)...usually involving putting them in a box or something? Hard to say if he did this himslef and Zoey was just an accessory to the crime or if it was her doing.

We were searching the whole house and couldn't find Zoey. Turns out she took all her favorite stuffed horses and "Bit" out to the yard for an late afternoon siesta.

What does a kid have to do around here to get a diaper change???

Another favorite toy for both kids...they still fight over it...except now it doesn't make any noise (darn?) because Milo thought a train needed to carry sand. Oops...

Post shower/pre Loony Toons...aka "almost bedtime"

Our first rain in a LONG time...Milo's first time to actually play in it. We love this rain suit that Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kristin gave to Zoey...it's perfect because both kids got use out of it.

We're literally "just singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain..."

Milo's 1st Triathlon...nope, I didn't race. I just went to support my buddy Nina. We were up at the crack of dark and I carried Milo in that backpack for 2+ hours. Ugh! He was such a trooper. Never complained or seemed like he wanted out...much to my surprise. Here we're talking to Lori, "Open Water Swim Coach Extraordinaire".

These pics were taken at the Pumpin Patch but there was little interest in the harvested vegetables (or is a pumkin a fruit?). The bouncy houses and rides were much more fun!