You should see the other guy

Chinese Night With Daddy

This weekend, Mommy escaped the insane asylum for a little sanity retreat in NYC with Nonna.

Daddy used the occasion to order his daughters their first takeout Chinese dinner.

Spring rolls, dumplings, fried rice. They loved it.

And Rory even got the chop sticks to work for her!

Although Aven preferred her hands ...

... she was able to get a few bites into her mouth using those chop sticks.

But Aven was especially excited by the fortune cookie that ended our Date Night.

Rory was less enamored by the cookie and more interested in hearing her fortune.


Rory: "You have a yearning for perfection." Aven: "If your desires are not extravagant, they will be granted." My daughters' first fortunes.

Easter Egg Hunt

On Saturday, Rory and Aven attended an Easter Egg Hunt hosted by their friend, Greta.

Rory gathered a gaggle of eggs! She was quite proud of herself.

Aven was a little more interested in the soccer balls than the easter eggs.


Rory and her bubbles.

Aven and her "snacks"!

Rory takes the icing off the cake.

Aven is a little disappointed that I gave her an egg that didn't have candy inside!

Cherry Blossoms

Washington weather has been pretty sporadic this year, but the Cherry Blossoms remain a beautiful constant as the harbinger of spring.
Mommy and her girls.
Daddy and his big girl.

Aven Finally Introduces Herself!

Finally, after 695 days of waiting (1 year, 10 months, and 26 days), Aven finally uttered her name. She has a huge vocabulary, but until last night she refused to say her own name, preferring to identify herself as "you" or "me" or "baby". Here's the video proof!

Green Eyes

Ah, a quite moment between Rory and Mommy ...

... suddenly interrupted by a Green-Eyed Monster who wants in on the cuddly action.

Opening Day, 2011

Rory continued her unbroken streak of attending the Opening Day ball game for the Washington Nationals (no pics from 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007), and once again she had a blast. Pictured here, she basks in the glow of her Daddy and Thomas Jefferson.

"Go Nats!"

"Go Aunt Chelle!"

"My Uncle Allen scored me my awesome seat!"

"Uncle Michael and Uncle Allen teach me everything that I need to know, including ..."

"... how to eat my ballpark pizza."

"But it's Aunt Jenny who teaches me how to drink ... my ballpark Sprite!"

Aven, Almost Two

Aven is almost two, and I can't account for the time that has passed so quickly. She has become an adorable, precocious, willful, talkative, and silly little girl! The video proof can be found here:

• Aven dances with Mommy while Rory watches (sick) from the couch
• Aven sings with accompaniment from Rory, Pippin, and Mommy

Aven delights in her independent accomplish- ments (like climbing to the top of these steps) and then declaring: "Ta Duh!"

Did I mention that Aven is a prodigy? (If prodigy means the ability to line up play doh balls in decreasing size and say: "Train! Chugga chugga choo choo!")

And even prodigies can get confused. Here, Aven mistakes the arm of the couch for a horse. She mounted her steed and yelled: "Neigh!"

Who Misses Daddy?

In late March, Daddy left his little ladies for two weeks so that he could help their Grandma recover from a knee surgery. While he was away, Mommy did a marvelous job keeping them entertained and her sanity in check. Pictured here is Shakespeare's character, Nick Bottom, at Imagination Stage. (Rory thought it was pretty funny that someone would have that last name.)

Yet, while Daddy was away, it did snow! In late March!

Oh, and have we mentioned that Rory and Aven are a wee bit energetic?!

Needless to say, Mommy (and the kids) were pretty happy to see Daddy return. Pictured here is the banner that greeted me.