On The Road Again

I will be gone for a few days. I'm going down to see my grandsons and family, do some shopping and drive around in the rain like a crazy person. There are a few important reasons for this trip but mostly it's indulgent. See you Sunday or Monday.

Happy Birthday To You Baby Bean

Look at this cute little boy. He's my second grandson and he's three years old today..., so Noni's bragging.

Mommy, Daddy and The Bean( his older brother ) had a party for the little Bean in Elk Grove, at a place called MY GYM. It's one of those wonderful "kid" places that is so perfect for a child's birthday party that you wonder why no one ever thought of this kind of business before. It's a kid's paradise. Structured play with all kinds of exercise and supervision. Both of my grandchildren have been going to this "gym" since they were babies.
I think that Baby Bean had the most fun of all in the parachute (above). Everyone got in a circle and held the parachute. My little grandson got in the middle. Then we rolled and bounced him around. I was lucky to get any photos of this at all. They are not clear because he was moving and laughing so hard. I had to show you anyway. The four photos together gives you the wonderful, fun feeling that he was having. By the end, at the bottom right, he was laughing so hard that Daddy had to help him up.
Clockwise from the upper left... This was just before he got tossed in the parachute. He's looking kind of serious because he's not sure what's going to happen. This is the look that lets me glimpse into the future..., when he's a teenager; serious, guarded and watching..., waiting to see what will happen next. No little bean, I want you to be the baby for a while longer. No growing up yet.
The upper right photo is him sitting with his Mommy opening presents. At three years of age this was a TASK and even though he looks like he's having fun here, two minutes later he was diving into a huge container of different colored rubber balls. Children are not very good at being "politically correct".
We ate sandwiches, apple juice and cake which he did sit still long enough to eat and it gave us a few moments to get some clear shots with our cameras. In the last picture(bottom left) is Mr. Cool (aka; The Bean, Big Bro, Silly Face) and one of his friends. The Curious George take home bag had these great, dark glasses inside and these little gentlemen thought that they were the epitome of coolness.

It was a Curious George birthday for my little monkey and a good time was had by all.

Happy Birthday Baby Bean!! Noni and Papa love you.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

It's official! Christmas has arrived at Three Dog Farm. Not everything is in it's place and I'm finding that the old adage of "Less is more" seems to sound better every year. So, as I try to honor the holidays after a long and sometimes heavy hearted year, I have decorated the house with the things that make us feel happy. Not an over abundance but a collection of decorations that have meaning and memories. I think it all looks very pretty and thought I would share some of it with you.

The Tree is a bit disappointing this year. I decided to buy a four foot artificial tree that was very inexpensive at Wal Mart. It had clear lights that were already attached and I thought that a small tree on a table would avoid "Pupster" damage, if you know what I mean.
This is probably the most "Charlie Brown" tree we have every had. It's not very straight and the top seems different than the bottom. (There were two pieces that you had to put together). It looks OK, now, that I have ornaments on it but I think I need a garland or some pretty bulbs to spiff it up a bit. I will work on it.
When I went back to Wal Mart the other day and bought the tree, I passed those blue lights again. The ones I didn't buy the first time. Well, guess what. I couldn't pass them up again.
I guess it's going to be a "blue" Christmas without you Mom..., because I put them on the Christmas tree and outside on the Mock Orange near the porch. They are really very beautiful. They reminded me of you. I hope you can see them.

This is my little Birthday Boy.

Tomorrow will be Baby Bean's 3rd. Birthday. We had a celebration on Saturday at a place called MY GYM in Elk Grove. I took lots of pictures..., imagine that. I will post some photos tomorrow .