The Huddy & Bean Show

Halloweenie 2010

2010-11-04T14:38:00.001-07:00

Cape Cod 3

2010-08-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

Cape Code 2

2010-08-23T11:30:00.002-07:00

Cap Cod 1

2010-08-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

New Pix from Robin Layton

2010-08-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

There are more pictures on the way, but here are a couple of shots that Robin took of Hudson and Mercer on Sunday.

El Capitan Canyon

2010-07-27T10:45:00.001-07:00

H&M 4th Birthday @ The Farm

2010-07-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Womder Woman & Batman!

2010-04-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Cowboy Avatar

2010-02-22T21:33:00.001-08:00

Dim Sum & 'Dem Some

2010-02-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

We took the kids to Chinatown on Sunday morning to experience their very first Dim Sum... they loved it! A very fun morning, followed by the ponies and train ride at Griffith Park -- the perfect way to entertain ourselves while Huddy had pink eye.

Turning Point Winter Concert

2010-02-11T15:58:00.001-08:00

The kids had their very first concert a few weeks ago. Mercer's class sang
"Five Little Ducks" -- though yours truly managed to screw up the recording so we have no record of its existence. This is Huddy's class singing "I'll Be Working On The Railroad." Note the height differential between Huddy and the girl three or four peeps to his right. Hilarious!

Don't Forget...

2010-02-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

The other night Maria and I were leaving the house to go out to dinner. Huddy came chasing after us to collect an extra set of hugs and kisses. As she walked down the stairs, he shouted to Maria, "I love you, Mommy!" -- to which she replied, "I love you, too."

And then he added, "Don't forget!"

Ah, Buddy... we'll never forget that line!

Snow Fun

2010-02-11T12:52:00.001-08:00

alleluja.

2010-01-31T23:29:00.001-08:00

Big Bear

2010-01-18T20:53:00.000-08:00

Post Christmas Pony Fun

2009-12-26T21:13:00.001-08:00

How do you follow up Christmas? Ponies, train rides and a carousel. Hello, Griffith Park!!!

Christmas Night at Michele & Monica's

2009-12-26T21:09:00.001-08:00

I would strongly suggest you become friends with Michele and Monica. Michele will make you food that will make you weep and Monica will make you laugh until you weep -- it's a great combination. We were lucky enough to be invited to their place for Christmas dinner.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

Big Sur 2009

2009-12-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

Hudson and Mercer's mommies went to Big Sur to celebrate Babbo's (Peter's) 44th birthday. Joining us were our pals Don and Dan, and of course, Boo. It was three glorious days at the Post Ranch Inn (where God lives), eating, hiking, laughing, and enjoying the amazing views. Happy Birthday, Petey!!!

Tree Trimming 2009

2009-12-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you a little story. I believe there are two types of people in this world: Those who believe that a Christmas tree should be real, and those who believe one of our most important holidays can be celebrated with a piece of plastic.

Guess which camp I fall into?

The point is that every year at Christmas, I insist that we get a real Christmas tree. I use the word insist because there has always been a slight amount of arm-twisting and persuasion going on when it comes to getting a tree. You see, Maria is, shall we say, "comfortable" with the idea that a plastic tree is just as meaningful as it's authentic counterpart. She always indulged my real tree fantasy, but all the while singing the praises of fake. (It should be noted that she is always the ones who waters the real tree, takes care of it, and then picks of the pine needles it leaves behind, so she has a point that fake trees have some merit!)

Three years ago, when we were knee-deep in 6-month old twins, i broke down and bought (a lovely) fake Christmas tree, which we have used for the past two seasons.

So imagine my surprise (and delight) when a few weeks ago Maria said to me, out of nowhere, "I think we should get a real Christmas tree this year."

Cindy Loo-Hoo to the rescue!!!

I have never been so happy than to leave the fake-but-lovely Christmas tree in its box in the basement, hopefully never to see the light of day again.

Finally, a word about Christmas tree decorating: It's Not Done 'Til Its Overdone!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

I wish there were more photos of people here, but, um... I was cooking. Or rather, Kelly and I were cooking. Thanks to the lovely and talented Kelly Callahan, we enjoyed an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. Maria supplied her jaw-dropping homemade rolls again this year (they take 8 hours, people!!!), Pat made Gaga's pumpkin chiffon pies and Mom (Julie) made her famous pecan pie. I have but one word: Yum!

The Happiest Place On Earth

2009-12-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

I don't know if the kids will remember their first trip to Disneyland, but I'll never forget it. Happy memories include Hudson loving (though simultaneously covering his eyes) at the Pirates of the Caribbean, Mercer getting turned into Shepinkqua at The Bippity Boppity Boutique and then getting to meet all her princess friends, eating corn dogs on Main Street and the four of us piling into one hotel room for the first time. Mercer summed it up well when she looked at us as she was walking into the park and said, "I've waited my whole life for this day!"

No Left Turns

2009-11-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Janet Spears (Peter's mom, Huddy and Bean's "Mun", and "Mother-In-Love" to Dawn and Maria) sent me this. I loved it and hope you will too.

This is a wonderful piece by Michael Gartner, editor of newspapers large and small and president of NBC News. In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. It is well worth reading, and a few good chuckles are guaranteed. Here goes...

My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car. He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet.

"In those days," he told me when he was in his 90s, "to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it."

At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in: "Oh, bull----!" she said. "He hit a horse."

"Well," my father said, "there was that, too."

So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars -- the Kollingses next door had a green 1941 Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth, the Hopsons two doors down a black 1941 Ford -- but we had none.

My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , would take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home. If he took the streetcar home, my mother and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together.

My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. "No one in the family drives," my mother would explain, and that was that.

But, sometimes, my father would say, "But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we'll get one." It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16 first.

But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown.

It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts, loaded with everything, and, since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my brother's car.

Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my father, but it didn't make sense to my mother.

So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. "Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?" I remember him saying more than once.

For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work.

Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage.

(Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)

He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustin's Church. She would walk down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home. If it was the assistant pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."

After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: "The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored."

If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, "Do you want to know the secret of a long life?"

"I guess so," I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre.

"No left turns," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"No left turns," he repeated. "Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.

As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn."

"What?" I said again.

"No left turns," he said. "Think about it. Three rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three rights."

"You're kidding!" I said, and I turned to my mother for support. "No," she said, "your father is right. We make three rights. It works." But then she added: "Except when your father loses count."

I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing.

"Loses count?" I asked.

"Yes," my father admitted, "that sometimes happens. But it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again."

I couldn't resist. "Do you ever go for 11?" I asked.

"No," he said " If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day or another week."

My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90.

She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102.

They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one. My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)

He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.

One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.

A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, "You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred." At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, "You know, I'm probably not going to live much longer."

"You're probably right," I said.

"Why would you say that?" He countered, somewhat irritated.

"Because you're 102 years old," I said.

"Yes," he said, "you're right." He stayed in bed all the next day.

That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night.

He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said: "I would like to make an announcement. No one in this room is dead yet"

An hour or so later, he spoke his last words:

"I want you to know," he said, clearly and lucidly, "that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have."

A short time later, he died.

I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot. I've wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long.

I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, rr because he quit taking left turns."

2009-11-02T07:07:00.001-08:00

Halloweenie 2009

2009-11-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dawn's 40th Birthday Weekend

2009-10-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Huddy and Bean programming for this special slideshow of Dawn's 40th birthday weekend.

80 Degrees In October

2009-10-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

What a Difference A Year Makes

2009-10-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Check out these pictures of Mercer from the pumpkin patch last year (left) and then from last week (right). The Littles ain't so little anymore! (Booooo!)

I Wanna Be A Cowboy

2009-10-16T10:56:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

TP (Turning Point) Birthday

2009-10-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Since the kids started school about a month ago, their social calendars have been FILLED with birthday invitations and play dates. These shots are from a birthday party on the Santa Monica pier for John, a Turning Point friend in Huddy's class.

Dawn Needs To Learn How To Focus Her Camera

2009-09-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

I Know Just How She Feels

2009-09-17T12:17:00.001-07:00

Making dinner for three-year-olds is an exercise in patience, luck, and usually futility. They're usually not that hungry, they're super picky, plus there's the ying and yang of trying to get something healthy into them that they'll actually eat AND that I have ingredients for AND isn't the same thing they've eaten 72 nights in a row. It's a lot of fun.

Anyway, dinner on Tuesday night was going to be something -- I can't recall what -- probably yet another foray into the holy trinity of chicken nugget, Tater Tot and grapes when Mercer decided what she really wanted was a tortilla with cheese on it.

So I made her a quesadilla/roll-up.

WRONG!

You see, the cheese was NOT supposed to be melted. Make another one, Mama.

So I made another cheese roll-up, this time the tortilla was warm but the cheese was cold.

WRONG!

Everything needed to be cold AND she needed to put the cheese on herself AND she needed to roll it up herself.

Fine, have at it, said I.

So I helped her put on the cheese (No, let ME do it) roll it up but because the tortilla was cold it started to break and that was NOT WORKING AT ALL (tears begin in earnest).

So Maria picks her up, trying not to laugh, and says, "Are you tired, honey?"

And Mercer responds (crying) "Yes I am tired but I just want it the way I want it!"

I mean, exactly. Right?

You Can Quote Me

2009-09-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

On Monday night, Maria had a business dinner, which was held on one of those cruise ships that scoots around the marina. Since she wasn't going to be home in time to tuck the kids into bed, we called her cell phone to say goodnight. Here's a rough transcript:

DAWN: Hi, Mommy, we're just getting ready to go to bed.

MERCER: mommy, where are you?

MARIA: Hi honey, I'm at a work dinner on a boat.

(Long pause)

MERCER: Do you have your bathing suit on?

Edible

2009-08-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

3-Year Check-Up

2009-08-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

Huddy and Bean had their three-year check-up last week. All is well with these happy, lovely children. Thought you'd get a kick out of how their height/weight indexes -- Mercer is near the top of the chart; Huddy is barely on it. And she weighs almost 10 pounds more! Love our Amazon baby!

Checking In

2009-08-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

I have been quite lax of late in updating the blog. I have new pictures coming, I promise. In the meantime, here are a few stories to tide you over.

Numbero Uno
I brought Mercer into bed with me for our ritual snuggle before going to work. She started laughing and said, "Do you know what Huddy did this morning? He said to me, "Mercer are you sleeping?" and I said, "Yes, I am" and then he said, "Do you want to watch the movie Babe?" and I said, "No Huddy, I am sleeping!" Then she laughed conspiratorially as if to say, "That Huddy, what a card!"

Numero Dos
Mercer announced to me on Saturday that when she gets older she is going to have three babies. One will be a girl named Belle and one will be a girl named Cinderella and one will be a boy named Price Charming. She also told me she currently has a baby in her tummy, but it is not ready to be born yet. I have NO IDEA where she gets these thoughts.

Numero Tres
So long, Cars fetish. Huddy has passed you by. These days his obsession is horses. Forget the 173 miniature "Cars" toys we have. They might as well be thrown in the trash. Now we have a stable of 243 different horses. His favorite new horse accessory is a "rope" made out of a leather shoe lace. You should have heard the meltdown last night when I tried to explain why he couldn't sleep with the rope in his bed. Just imagine how badly his head is going to explode when he gets these in the mail.

2009-08-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

The older my children get, the more they literally make my heart ache. (In a good way.)

At this rate, by the time they are 18 and ready to leave the nest, I will likely have an aneurysm when they head off to college.

Last night, after I returned home from a quick trip to Detroit, Mercer took my hand in hers and said, "Mommy, I love spending time with you."

Me too, honey. Me too.

Wedding Dance

2009-07-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

One day it will be legal in California for Maria and me to get married. And when (not if) we do, I hope we can have a ceremony that is half the fun of this one!

A Mercer Moment

2009-07-24T11:09:00.001-07:00

Ever since her birthday, Mercer has liked to pretend she is having a birthday everyday. (I mean, why not?) She celebrates in various ways. For example, she might get out ALL of her stuffed animals, put them on her bed, and sing "Happy Birthday" to them. Some days she picks out her outfit for the day and then requires me to put it all into a gift bag so she can unwrap her "surprise."

But two nights ago took the cake. She said I needed her to make her a homemade birthday card, and it should have two Care Bears on it, a happy face and some flowers. It should also say her name.

So while Maria gave her a bath, I quickly set about to make her the card. I am no artist, but I thought it turned out pretty well and was SURE she was going to be very, very excited about her card.

I got her out of the bath tub, bundled her up in a towel, and took her into the bedroom where I'd put the card (alongside her pajamas, "wrapped" in a gift bag) on her bed. She stared at it and said, "There's only one Care Bear."

"Yes," I explained, "I'm sorry about that but I made the first Care Bear so big there wasn't enough room for another one. But see? There is a happy face and here are some flowers."

She stared a bit longer and said, "He doesn't look very happy."

****

When Mercer asks you for a homemade card with TWO Care Bears on it, a happy face, some flowers and her name, you had better freakin' deliver, my friend. Or suffer the consequences. Lesson learned.

(This is the birthday card, which I had to edit to make Care Bear "happier", and then Mercer drew all over to add her own artistic embellishments.)

Huddy Stuff

2009-07-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

From Dawn:
Last night, we were trying to get the kids to get into their pajamas after bath time. Huddy kept running away from me so that he could play with his horse. After about 15 minutes, when I'd FINALLY had enough, I started the proverbial counting: "One... two..." Now typically Huddy will immediately come running at "two" but this time he stopped, looked at me, and smiled mischievously as I counted from two to "three." As I walked toward him to take him to "time out", he looked at me and said, totally nonplussed, "Are you picking me up to take me to time out?" "Yes," I said, as I picked him up. "But, no, mommy. Why?" "Because I counted to three and you didn't put your PJ's on," I replied. "No, mommy. This is not the deal. If you put me on my bed I will cry and be sad." (He said this as he was sitting on his bed, clearly not sad at all.) It took everything I had not to laugh hysterically. Clearly time out has close to zero effect on him. I can only wonder if juvie is right aroudn the corner.

From Maria:
I’m leaving for work this morning and Hudson is in the bathroom with me as I’m blowing my nose he says “Don’t cry Mommy, I’ll be sad”.

Huddy & Bean Turn 3!

2009-07-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

Did You Know?

2009-07-16T12:44:00.001-07:00

Did you know...

Hudson talks in his sleep almost every night. (Last night it was him shouting, "I don't want to do it!")

Mercer owns about 12 pairs of flip-flops?

Hudson never has to comb his hair -- it just looks that brilliant naturally.

Mercer gets her toenails painted by Mommy weekly. (Mommy has become very skilled at painting flowers on a tiny space.)

Hudson is crazy, crazy, crazy for horses and LOVES the movie Spirit.

Mercer never, ever forgets something you've said -- so do not attempt to assuage her with promises of something you can't deliver, or she will make you pay.

Hudson can entertain himself (as long as he has his bag of horses) for an eternity.

Mercer can entertain herself (as long as she has her babies) for about five minutes.

Hudson loves rotisserie chicken.

Mercer loves chicken skin.

Hudson takes a long time to fall asleep, but can entertain himself quietly until he goes down.

Mercer's head hits the pillow and she's out.

Hudson was potty trained faster than Mercer.

Mercer is almost a head taller than Hudson.

Hudson rarely gets sick, and when he does, it's usually short-lived.

Mercer gets sick a LOT, stays sick, and is allergic to dust mites.

Hudson loves Oreos, which he pronounces, "Oh-wee-os."

Mercer loves Cheeze-It's. We should own stock.

Maria and Dawn are the luckiest mamas in the world.

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

2009-07-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

First Day of Camp!

2009-07-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

2009-06-29T12:27:00.001-07:00

animal birthday party

2009-06-26T08:59:00.001-07:00

animal birthday party, originally uploaded by dawncallahan.

Old Navy

2009-06-23T16:14:00.001-07:00

Here's Mercer's take on Old Navy (as told to Dawn's sister, Alison): "They have a LOT of nice things there. They have dresses and shirts and shorts and skirts and pants and shows and pajamas. It is a VERY NICE store."

old navy, originally uploaded by dawncallahan.

Father's Day 2009

2009-06-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Three Guys & A Chick

2009-05-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hudson and Mercer had a play date with their friends Jasper and Julian at the pony rides on Saturday. Good times!

New from Flickr

2009-05-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

I just figured out how to post a slideshow from Flickr directly into Blogger. Can't believe it took me this long. Enjoy. (Also, you can make the slideshow full screen by clicking on the little arrow icons in the bottom right-hand corner of the slideshow.)

Slideoo

2009-05-27T09:05:00.001-07:00

And these are the same pictures, but this time in a slideshow created with something called Slideoo. I like both for different reasons. What do *you* think???

Let's Go, Lakers!

2009-05-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Super Genius

2009-05-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

I don't mind telling you that my daughter has a case of The Smarts. To wit: I present FOUR examples of her genius -- all from last night -- for your review.

1. Walked into the kitchen and said to Maria, "Mommy, I have a question." Sure, this may seem like no big deal, but SHE'S NOT EVEN THREE. The concept that she 1) knew she had a question, 2) stated she had a question, and 3) then went on to ask her question is a marvel of conversational mechanics for her age.

2. We were watching a movie (Stuart Little 2, if you must know) and there is a scene that's a little dramatic. She said, laughing, "Whew! That scared me to death!"

3. She was wearing her bathing suit in the bathtub (that's another story) and noticed a little thatched-roof palapa in the print. She looked at it and said, "Is this in Mexico?" Now, she's never seen a palapa -- but she has seen pictures of our recent trip to Mexico and put two and two together. Amazing. So I said, I don't think that's supposed to be Mexico. I think that's supposed to be Hawaii." And she replied, "Oh, you mean where Lola is going?" (Our nanny, Fabiola is going to Hawaii next week, a fact clearly not lost on the Mercer Police."

4. As I was tucking her in, we realized that she was missing her bear's blanket. I told her to sit tight and I would go look for it. She informed me, "I was in your bedroom, the back bedroom and the bathroom." You see, she wanted to make sure I looked in all the right places where she had been playing with the blanket.

SHEAR GENIUS, I TELL YOU!!!

Umbrella & Hugs

2009-05-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Stipp Family Reunion

2009-05-18T12:29:00.001-07:00

We were fortunate to have the ENTIRE Stipp clan (save Mackenzie) in town for a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.

More Griffith Park Fun

2009-05-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

Pam's 50th

2009-05-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our friend Pam's 50th birthday party last night. It was a BEAUTIFUL party! Happy Birthday, Pam!

2009-05-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

Just some random stuff from the last few weeks...

I'm With The Band, Part 2

2009-05-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why they always seem to be in the bathroom when they decide to be musical. Must be the acoustics.

Pony Ride at Griffith Park

2009-04-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

Small Bits

2009-04-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

The days go by so fast, and the kids are doing and saying new things all the time, but I'm trying to remember to capture some of the fun things here.

Hudson Highlights
He calls everyone "Madame" or "My darling", as in, "Hello, my darling, how are you?" or "Madame, I tell you you are in a time out."

He knows he's not supposed to tell his mommies, "no" -- so instead he says, "Not today." As in, "Huddy, will you come and get in the shower?" "Not today."

He is very directive (another word for bossy) and tells everyone what to do by putting both hands up in the air, with his index fingers pointed to the sky, and barking commands very loudly. He has no idea why this is not effective.

He loves horses, the movie Cars, motorcycles, playing with his trains, and his Wellies.

He hates getting his nails trimmed, his hair cut, his teeth brushed, or his hair brushed. He hates it so much that he is constantly telling you that he *doesn't* want to get these things done to him, even if you weren't planning on doing them. Clearly, the boy is planning ahead.

His hands and feet are just about the most precious things in the world.

Mercer Highlights
She constantly astounds me by some of the things that come out of her mouth. Yesterday she told Maria, "Mommy, you really smell great today." The other day I couldn't hear what she said and I asked her, "Did you say 'did' or 'did not'" and she replied "Didn't", which is pretty amazing from a grammatical POV, right?

She likes to pretend to read magazines, most of the time upside down. A couple of nights ago she asked me, "What does this say?" and I told her that pretty soon she would start to read, when she knew her ABC's. So she immediately sang the entire ABC song, start to finish, no mistakes, with a big smile. I think the girl is ready!

She is still *very* focused on fashion, and is absolutely in charge of her outfits each day. This generally involves a dress over jeans. It's her go-to look.

She loves her bear, her blankie, dresses, anything pink or purple, dancing, gymnastics, pretending to drive the car, and dare devil maneuvers.

She hates... nothing, really. She's pretty low maintenance that way.

Her eyes and smile flow me, every single day. (Her mommy's do, too!)

2009-04-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

A carousel ride. Their first ice cream cone. A new pool for the backyard. Just some of the highlights from the past weekend!

Mexico

2009-04-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Mama (aka Maria and Dawn) celebrated their 10th anniversary on April 9th. We spent the trip with our bestest buds Catherine & Elizabeth at the One & Only Palmilla resort in Cabo, Mexico. What a perfect place to kick off the *next* ten years together! (The last few shots are of whales jumping out of the water right in front of the resort!)

Easter, 2009

2009-04-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

mercer, post nap 4-4-09

2009-04-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Jesse Gets A Bath

2009-03-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

A Horse Named Babbo

2009-03-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

More Bean

2009-03-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

Billy's Birthday Party

2009-03-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

I'm With The Band

2009-03-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Tiny Dancer Gives A (painful) Hug

2009-03-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

My favorite part: "Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!"

Mercer Goes Renegade

2009-03-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Note in this video that Mercer gets a little TOO excited about gymnastics and gets a talking to from Coach Billy. (This was about the 900th time he had to tell her to sit down.) Can she help the fact she's so much better than all the other kids in the class? : )

Gymnastics Part 2

2009-03-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

Gymnastics

2009-03-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

We recently signed the kids up for gymnastics and they are loving being monkeys. Here are a few videos to enjoy!

Popcorn

2009-03-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

The kids have recently discovered popcorn and LOVE it! A few weekends ago Maria had to do some travel for work, so H&M and I made a couple of forts, popped some popcorn, and watched a movie -- the perfect Sunday afternoon!

More Farm Fun

2009-03-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

Delicious

2009-03-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

SCENE: Afternoon. The bedroom. Mama is laying down for a nap. Mercer is laying next to her, their heads share a pillow.

MERCER: (Turning her head to look at Mama eye to eye) I see something delicious.

MAMA: Really? What?

MERCER: You.

It doesn't get any more magical than that, folks! Print it!

My Darling

2009-03-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Huddy has begun calling people (and the dog) "my darling." He will hold the door open for Jesse and say, "Come in, my darling." Last weekend he opened up the gate for me and said, "Here you go, my darling." Come on! He also says "My dear." If we can just get him to keep saying it when he's 18...

Mercer's Interview

2009-02-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

The Bean

2009-02-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow!

2009-01-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

Last night we were taking down our Christmas tree (yes, finally). I got out the vacuum to pick up all the little bits of glitter and dust that were on the floor when Mercer exclaimed, "Holy Cow! This is dirty!" Holy Cow? Where did THAT come from???

2009-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Huddy was over at Peter and Brian's house yesterday and saw this Christams card sitting on the coffee table. He picked it up and started laughing and said "A dog driving a boat. That's crazy!"

Mercer's Shout Out

2009-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

New Year's 2008

2009-01-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

Frenz

2009-01-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas, 2008

2009-01-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

Boo's Birthday

2009-01-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, 2008

2009-01-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Daley Hake Shoot

2008-12-23T13:05:00.001-08:00

We recently had the kids photographed by Daley Hake, a wonderful guy who's also wonderfully talented. Here are a few of the shots... enjoy!

Funny Stuff

2008-12-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

Some funny stuff I've been meaning to share...

1) Huddy mostly refers to himself in the third person, as in, "Huddy wants a binkie" or "Huddy wants Macadonald's." (BTW, that's a phonetic description of how he pronounced McDonald's.) The only time we ever hear the word "I" out of Huddy is when he says, "I don't want it!" (And we hear that a lot, btw.)

2) Mercer continues to pick up phrases she hears from Maria or me and incorporate them into her lexicon. Overheard the other day: "Oh, that's so cute! I can't stand it!" and then later that same day, "Oh, cute, I can't take it!"

3) Mercer regularly wants to call Belle, Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Snow White or Santa Claus on the phone. In these instances, I generally press my sister, Alison, or sister-in-love, Kelly, into service. (Dad plays Santa Claus.) They ably play the roles for Mercer while she listens in. My sister has a cat who she could hear meowing over the phone, so now thinks Sow White has a cat and wants to talk tot he cat.

4) Huddy is on a COMPLETELY different schedule than Bean. She is an early bird who awakens at 5:30-5:45AM every morning, and is out like a light by 7:45PM. Huddy takes long naps and gets up around 7AM. However, he also has a hard time falling asleep at night, so he just quietly plays in his bed with his cars or his toys for up to an hour after he goes down. Maria will come in to check on him and he always puts his finger up to his mouth to give her the "Shhhh!" sign -- to make sure Maria doesn't wake up Merecr. He's a good brother.

Santa Is Watching

2008-12-15T10:48:00.001-08:00

This is the first year the kids "get" Christmas. (And, by "getting" Christmas, I would be referring to the commercial, Santa Claus-Rudolf-elves version of Christmas, not the birth of Christ.)

Anyway, they understand that Santa has a list of who's naughty and nice and delivers gifts accordingly.

You have no idea the power of Santa. He means so much more than the threat of a time out. I learned this first hand last night when Mercer was in full "spin-out" mode and refusing to put on her jammies after bath time.

I was getting a little exasperated and ready to trot out the old, "Honey, you don't want a time out do you?" when she suddenly stopped, looked at me, and said, "Santa is watching."

She immediately sat in my lap and got her jammies on.

Santa is watching, people.

The Farm

2008-12-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend we visited the Underwood Farm in Moorpark, one of Huddy and Mercer's favorite places on earth. (What's not to love about pony rides, tractors, bales of hay to climb on, cows and goats to feed, and a jump house?) I think the pony's are their favorite. The last time we were there, the ponies they rode on were named "Snowball" and "Candy." We have been talking about Snowball and Candy ever since. Unfortunately, Candy wasn't "in the house" yesterday, but there was a new pony to take her place. And what do you think her name was? What would be the most perfect name in all of heaven and earth for Mercer? That's right: Tinkerbell. She was riding a pony named Tinkerbell. (Not to be outdone, Huddy instantly renamed Snowball "Nemo.")

In addition, the farm also had a Santa there. Unfortunately, it was the saddest, creepiest, worst-performing Santa ever, but the kids had no idea. They were well practiced in their list of things they want Santa to bring. Mercer was spinning an elaborate tale of the "doll house" she wanted, however, her list was apparently taking too long for Huddy as he interrupted with a very loud, "Heelllooooooo!!!" in order to get Santa's attention.

Brilliant.

Eye of The Tiger

2008-12-01T10:10:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Rainbow Connection

2008-11-26T11:05:00.001-08:00

We got a bit of rain last night and again this morning. This was my view when I got to work today. Gorgeous!

Dancing

2008-11-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

I love this video because it's right before nap time and you can see the kids are starting to lose it. Mercer has discarded her Cinderella obsession and is now focused on Tinker Bell (hence the costume, which she has to wear 24/7), and Huddy doesn't want to be left out, so puts on the Nemo costume. I love the way he says goodbye with his fin at the end of the video. Watch for it!

Exercising

2008-11-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

Eleven Twenty-Two

2008-11-24T09:20:00.000-08:00