HelllOOoooOOOoooOOooooooooOOOo!!

Hello Family, Friends and Fellow Bloggers!!!! We are back from our vacation (which I will call Fake-ation from here on out due to the fact that we still had to contend with naps, meals, snacks, crying, whining and overall kid-dom) from North Carolina!

Recap-

• flying with both girls sans michael (this was loads of fun)
• vertigo
• long drive from airport to parent's country home
• fun
• food
• less vertigo
• family
• dramamine
• andrea et al
• wisconsin in da' hizouse
• surprise from nyc (jennyc came to visit, athena calls her Jelly)
• pool
• family portrait (old school style)
• bbq
• Michael arrives from Atlanta
• cows, goats, horses
• date with michael :)
• fun
• food
• family
• good byes :(
• flight home
• 2 lay overs
• arrive Houston at 1am with both girls awake
• wake up this morning at 7am as if they didn't go to bed only 6 hours earlier
• blogging about it

The girls had an incredible time. We all did. Many pictures to follow, but wanted to check in . We really had an awesome time and got to spend time with the people we love. Like I say, damn the industrial revolution and the fact that all of our family is scattered everywhere.

Sorry about the gap in blogging :(

In my best Lisa Stansfield voice....back to life, back to reality.......

Bar-b

Saylor has something to say...

There you have it folks. Heard here first.

The opinions expressed in the video are not that of BAMS Fam. Inc.. The comments in this section are the sole thoughts of the author.

Love,

Bar-b

Water Displacement, 40th formula

not to be confused with

I am convinced that every squeak heard in my house, any hinge that needs lubricant, any toy, anything that needs loosening, and any thing that needs grease to be removed from it, gets the ol' spray. I don't know why I feel this way, I was not raised by a mechanic, live in a garage, or am a Sanford but I feel anything can fixed with WD40.

Put it to you this way, It is the "windex" in my fat greek wedding.

And No, no one pays me for endorsement of any kind. I just feel like I wanted to share. It is one of those kinds of days...

http://www.wd40.com/last-straw

I have never lost the straw either b/c I promptly put it back on the top, but in case you suffer from that, they have now come up with a new bottle that does the remembering for you.

That is all, carry on.

Snapshots of Mama Razzi

"Saylor here, it says it right there...in trisyllabic meter".

Athena: Hi.

Juliana: Hi.

Juliana: Is she going to do that the whole time I am here.

Athena: You forget its [the camera] there after a while.

Aerial view of the girls playing. D'oh.

Can't you just see them growing up right before your eyes. Fast forward 15 years

This is a picture of Athena's beauty ("booty") mark. She couldn't see it when we told her she had one there so we had to take a picture of it to show her.

"Let me explain.....I was on my tummy"

Pack and Play?

Belly Casts

I am feeling so nostalgic right now. I know it is just hormonal but golly gee. Here are the two casts that Michael and I had made. Both were at 35 weeks gestation. Do you see how svelte I was with Athena's?????? I digress. I am always digressing. I live in Digression, USA.

These two hang up in the girls' rooms with pride. They have no clue what they are but one day they will. I have two of my closest friends wanting to get pregnant again (some actively trying) and it just warms my heart to think of another baby, another human being, being made, grown and born. Baby fever is a bit dramatic of a phrase. I just wish we felt differently is all. Saylor just started sleeping through the night from 7pm to 5am and it has been pure heaven. My heart has the capacity for one more but my wallet, patience, and hands don't :(

If anyone wants to hear what the king of this castle has to say please read the next post titled "geraldo move over".




I also entered them in the website for some fun (and a free cd). Go and check it out.

http://www.proudbody.com/bellycastgallery.htm

By the way, these were lovingly painted by our friend Christa back in O-town.

Love,
Bar-b

Geraldo move over

So I decided to interview the man, the myth, the legend, Yep, baby daddy. He is used to my quirky antics so when I said "I'd like to interview you for the blog is that ok?", he said "sure", didn't even blink really. Before I started I said, "yes, I am serious and yes I want an answer to all of these questions". He said "ok, ok". Barbie-B, Michael-M

B- How do you feel about our family blog?
M-repeats question. I feel it is a tremendous expression of how we feel about our family and that we are able to share it with family and friends. I love that you love to share. It makes it easier for me.

B-Do you secretly want your own blog?
M-LOL, No I don't. I love the family blog and love it even more that I don't have to do anything.

B-Ever do the moonwalk just because you can?
M-I do, not very frequently. Once every 3 months. Yep. I will just bust out with a MW.

B-Do you want another baby?
M-very quickly says No. Then we saw tumbleweeds in the background.

B-How do you feel about your dinners?
M-Long freakin' pause- generally pleased. Sometimes tidbit night isn't a big hit.

B-What is your favorite saying of Athena's?
M-Hmmmmmmm. So many, can I get back to you?

B-sure.

B-Words to live by?
M-Repeats question. Do it today because tomorrow it could be illegal.

B-Why are you so retarded?
M-is this a real question?

B-no.

B-If you were an animal (other than the primate than you seem to me) what would you be?
M-LOL. Oh God. Ummmm. I think a bird. Maybe an eagle, something powerful within the bird family. That or a T-Rex.

B-Blonde or brunette?
M-Mousy Brown.

B-no not you, me, which do you prefer?
M-long pause. Right now I am liking the brunette a lot.

B-Do you think you could come up with an interview yourself???
M-yeah, sure, given some time.

B-Can I have a sample question?
M- No.

B-Any last words?
M-This soup keeps getting better and better.

B-is that a metaphor for our life?
M-No, this (points to an almost empty bowl of soup) soup that you made with love (and that we have been eating for three days straight)...chuckle.

B-chuckle.

Shot out to my new friend Heather at http://thesecretisinthesauce.blogspot.com/

Galveston Beach...blech

Thank God that Athena is too young to remember the beautiful beaches of Miami that we have taken her to. Even the Cocoa, Destin and New Smyrna beaches are better than what we have here in Houston. Galveston beach pales in comparison to anything. Up to and including mud. I know it is just the sediment but golly gee, it is gaaaross looking. Besides my commentary on the water we had a blast. Very, very fun. If you know "Parent Barbie", you also know how crazy I am about "the schedule" and certainly about naptimes (aka....off time for us). Well, we were having so much fun that we decided to skip *gasp* naptime and spend all day out in G-town. We truly had a great time. Even Michael said how much fun he had. Athena loves the water and couldn't give a rat's ass that we weren't near her. If it were up to her she would hop on a surfboard or kayak and "be right back" like she says. This girl would get hit by the waves and get right up (sand in eyes and mouth) and do it again, and again, and again. I reapplied sunscreen three times too. We plan on going out there more often b/c Athena really enjoyed it. Saylor was happily either in the car seat napping, on me or in the water with us all.

Sorry, no pictures of Saylor cuz I can't carry a baby, watch out for the toddler and take pictures...will work on it though :)




Love,
Bar-b

Happy Half Year-day

Aw shucks, thank you , thank you very much.

Yesterday (the 4th) reminded me of today (the 5th) and how both of the girls have their monthly anniversaries then. Then it dawned on me that Sweet Saylor turned 6 months today. Six, whole, months. Bittersweet indeed. She is such a happy, robust, joyful, chunky, kissable, squealy, yummy baby. She adores her big sister and she waits (as we all do) for Athena's next unpredictable funny move. Athena also had a monthly today and she turned 2 years and 8 months today. Our big girl for sure. What a happy, creative, imaginative, bright, sweet, compassionate toddler we have on our hands. It is truly a pleasure co-parenting these two stars. Anyhow, to celebrate we decided to go to the Galleria Mall and show them the ice rink. Athena was really jazzed about it and kept saying "hice skating ring".....judges????we'll give it to her. I think I will be putting Athena in skating she seemd to love watching. There is a parent and tot class that I am going to research. Anyhow, I digress.

At home trying to crawl to her tete.

In her Joovy (thanks Maria!!!!!!!!) stroller

Joovy stroller too (it is a compact double stroller that allows the back kid (usually the older one) to have the option to sit or stand.

Watching the action on the sidelines with rice krispies treat in hand

Bye for now everyone :)))))))

Dependents' Day is more like it

Yes, it is July 4th.....a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the "declaration of independence" (creative name for the document) declaring independence from the Brits.

We have done nothing to "celebrate" today. Besides the fact that Michael had the day off, we have just been home, living it up. We first had Juliana over for a bit and hung out with her and the day just escalated in excitement after that. Michael went to WalMart (athena-ism..."lawn mowert") to get a pair of cycling shorts and a bathing suit (athena-ism..."baby suit"). We were outside with play doh, bubbles and the soccer ball (athena-ism "sock ball).

The day culminated in making the familial batch of Rice Krispies Treats (athena-ism "christmas treats"). I realize this is not exactly a reenactment of how the day was back in 1776, I am sure it would have been some sort of mince pie, pudding, some sort of fowl (apparently the peahen was waaaaay tastier than the peacock...some things never change), or something that required no refrigeration. Ok, ok, history channel has now turned off. Girls are both in bed and Michael is on his way home with our celebratory pizza dinner. All in all, between the pizza, christmas treats and pomegranate martinis we will have exceeded our 1, 776 calorie allotment for the day :)

Here "Junana" have some. I know what's good for you, I am 2 and half ya know.

Saylor and her new celebratory bow.

She really digs it.

This is exactly what I found when I returned to the dining room. It is the festive veggie hot dog wreath crowning the top of the sippy cup. Martha Stuart (is this spelled like this?) watch out.

Seriously, Happy Fourth of July everyone! I will leave you with this........

Love,

Bar-b

Little Miss Sunshines

I’ll probably not be around much today… My funny is broken. Temporarily, anyway… Be back soon. Have a great day! Happy Canada Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bar-b