new year

Because the first month of the year will soon come to an end, I figure it only logical to finally get around to sharing how are year ended last year and began this year. The operative word: low-key (technically, that's two). My back went out two days before Christmas (it is still on a little vacation, if you find it, please tell it to come home) and I was a wee incapacitated for about three weeks. I was still able to get our Christmas stockings done, though (because I am, to be sure, a crafting champion). I figure these should last for a while, you know, until the kids have their own favorite nicknames and they start calling us Mom and Dad (which is always better than "hey you").Christmas Day was fun (I am pretty sure, I was asleep for most of it, but the pictures tell the story of great joy, so there you are). The pups were right and properly spoiled.

Papa wasted no time in removing the jolly from our house the day after Christmas, because that is how we roll.

We spent the days after Christmas and around New Year's Day messing about with holiday giftage. Santa brought Papa an HO scale train set, that will be the start of his collection (maybe he will get around to getting the trains from his childhood, too). The whole train thing is a big deal because it's why he got into engineering, and really, I am just glad for him to have a hobby that is, potentially, as expensive as mine (um, all of them).

And then the new year also saw us digging out of snow again. But we also got a chance to practice our snow angel technique.

Happy New Year! Tons of photos in flickr.

new haven; or, cramming more into one day than some poeple fit into a week

On Saturday, the Seal Pup got his first professional haircut. He wasn't very excited about the prospect. No, not at all.

He had his hair cut by his halmony (Korean grandmother) for his birthday back in March, and we gave it a try a month or so ago (to disastrous results), and the shagginess was starting to be a problem where grooming was concerned. So he got it cut, much better, right?

Kelly likes the cut more than I do. I miss the little curls, and I think the haircut makes him look older...like he is 2 or something!

I think Anders likes it, and in the great scheme of things...that's what really matters--making sure the wants and desires of a 16 month old are met, right.

After the haircut, we headed to New Haven to adventure in our own backyard...and go to Ikea and find Vietnamese food. Who knew Ikea was a playground?

We certainly did not know about the huge playground posing as a furniture store (having never visited with kids--or even with kids in mind).

The pup had so much fun, it was scary. Playing around Ikea was clearly much better than getting his haircut by some stranger who just graduated high school (okay, maybe she isn't that young, but she was young).

Our friend APea often sites trying and traumatic experiences such as this as opportunities to "get a pony." We have no stable or barn, so the Pup will have to settle for a wooden moose.

I tried putting the moose together, Kelly took a look at it and asked if the moose was supposed to rock back and forth. "Well, of course, it is a rocking moose...oh..."

Not so much.

After dismantling the rocking portions and re-attaching them properly, we were in business.

We were able to find a creatively named yarn shop (clearly the most important part of any family trip).

We walked around the Yale University campus explaining to Anders the importance of a good education and the merits of earning scholarships to attain said education (sure, he isn't even 2 yet, but you have to start early, right?).

And we found our Pho connection.

A very delicious meal was consumed by the parental seals.

The Pup had his meal earlier at Ikea, the swedish meatballs were very popular.

Why do kids love these meatballs? Granted, I am a little more discriminating, but I didn't find them tasty at all...

I think ice cream from Michael's Dairy is much better. Anders found it more enjoyable too, I think.

Papa Seal wanted to enjoy some ice cream too, but clearly, he needed to get his priorities in order.

Ice cream, it's the taste of summer.