Villains and Donuts

It's been a rough week for Murmel. A secret band of mischievous villains have come out of the toy box to torment our innocent elf. They locked him up and won't stop smiling about it. Mom and I knew exactly how to help Murmel feel better- we made elf donuts! It was so fun- we just dipped Cheerios in melted chocolate, sugar, and sprinkles. Murmel seemed to like them, he even shared with his friends that night! Then... the unexpected. Baby Villain arrived. Even as a newborn, he is a devilish accomplice! We're going to have to make more donuts.

Naked Dogs

"They look naked!" was my first reaction to our dogs' new haircuts. Apparently when Mom told the groomer to trim them "short", he heard "scalped". We've never seen their skin before!They seemed humiliated when Mom picked them up, so we gave them extra treats. After recovering from the initial shock, we all decided that they look like puppies again. Our puppy, Maggie, is now 10 years young (that's 70 in human years). She walks with a slight limp from her arthritic hips, but that doesn't stop her from terrorizing small furry animals in the neighborhood. Little brother, Mox, is a few weeks away from his 9th birthday. This puppy starts each day with overbearing enthusiasm and still craves affection every bit as much as he did as a tiny fur ball baby. We love our sweet naked dogs!

Buddy

The boys in our house have formed a very sweet bond. Mom put Ryan on his play mat across the room, and in just a few minutes, he had rolled over to a snuggly spot in Buddy's neck.Buddy loves our little man as much as we do. He always wants to be in the same room with him, even curling up on the bathroom rug while Ryan gets his bath.
We have good boys in our house!

Ryan's Baptism

Our perfect baby boy was baptized today! We were thrilled that his grandparents and godparents, the Honorable Quinns, could be there for the special event. Dad was taken by surprise when Mom dressed Ryan in the new christening gown that she argued would now be a family heirloom. She heard Dad whispering "This is the last time you have to wear a dress, buddy".
My friend and I were baptized together last year, so we thought it was extra cool that our baby brothers got baptized together today!
Ryan was a little overwhelmed with all of the attention, but he looked and acted like an angel for the whole morning. They all think he's an angel... nobody believes me when I say he constantly tries to pull my hair.
My favorite part of the big event was being able to spend time with family. And get their gum.
Mom and Dad's favorite part was being able to share this special occasion with people they love.

Santa

My Nana, Papa, Aunt Joy Joy, and Uncle Big Mike came all the way from Boston to see Santa with Ryan and me! It was wicked fun to hang out with them and catch up on memories from their wedding in May. Bonus when they visit- ice cream every night!

Murmel Returns

Our elf came back! Santa sent him from the North Pole to keep an eye on me until Christmas. He even sent a card that said I was on the Nice list for being a good big sister.Dad read the card and it said I should give Ryan a big hug. So I did.
It's been great having Murmel back in the house again. At night (after he flies back to the North Pole to check in with Santa) he gets into all sorts of trouble. One morning I told my parents "I needed to sleep more, but Murmel kept me up all night". We call him Murmel the Mess Maker,
Murmel the Baker,Murmel the Hair Genius,Murmel the Hef,and Murmel the Big Boy Who Goes Potty.

Ryan at 5 Months

Our favorite boy is getting more fun by the minute! To describe him at this age we need a series of action verbs: Smiling... at everyone, everywhere. Ryan definitely got Dad's extrovert gene, while Mom and I are the shy ones in the family. Wiggling... those legs never stop moving. He uses them to jump in his bouncy chair and roll around his play mat. He even bangs them onto his crib mattress at night like a drum when he's falling asleep. Growing... out of his 6 month clothes already. It probably has something to do with the fact that he is devouring every pureed fruit and vegetable we offer. Mom says he's a natural foodie. We gave him bites of chocolate frozen yogurt yesterday. No surprise that he loved it, it's the one thing Mom craved while pregnant with him. Grabbing... anything within reach. Taking him to the grocery store in the baby carrier is no longer an easy task. If he can see it, he wants to chew it. He has been studying Moxie very carefully, knowing it is just a matter of time until he will be able to get those ears and tail. We love this crazy baby and look forward to the next month!