Happy Birthday, Mommy!

We celebrated Julie's birthday today the only way we know how... with Happy Birthday Cake! Before the big reveal, Joe tested things out - he thought no one was watching! But Joe was nice enough to wait for Julie to blow out the candles with her. He also gave her lots of hugs and wishes for a happy birthday while Clara paid close attention to everything her mommy was doing. Astute readers will notice that we did not have the number 4 for the cake, so we had to improvise!

Visit from Rob

We had a special visit from cousin Rob Celic today. Joe and Clara got to meet him and show off all their skills - Clara with the finger sucking and Joe with the jumping. Of course Berenice and Raleigh also wanted to spend time with Rob, so he had his hands full!

Walking Pneumonia

Fans, as we have been suspecting, Our Hero has, in fact, been sick. After a fifth day of not fevers, but above normal temperatures; intermittent wet coughing; and Joe just seeming off; Julie got an appointment this afternoon and took him in. He took the examination entirely in stride, and did his best to take deep breaths. The diagnosis: walking pneumonia. So he is on zithromax (a Z-pack!--but in liquid, cherry-flavored form) for five days. Julie and Joe went off to Target to pick it up, where Our Hero walked. He does have walking pneumonia after all. He was not to be dissuaded. He pushed the cart for a while and then stopped dead at a corner of the outside track, if you will, and said, "I want to run." And oh, Fans, I (Julie) felt him. I really did. Those aisles looked ripe for a good tear down them. But we don't run in stores. Joe took it like a man. Instead, he put whatever struck his fancy in the cart, and we split a carton of goldfish from an end cap before we picked up the prescription, and walked on out.

Tie One On

In the mornings of late, Joe makes his way upstairs with Ted after his two-bowl-of-Cherrios-breakfast-of-champions* and patters around. Usual activities include application of (Julie's) deodorant (initially, he would put it on his face; we have since learned it goes under your arms), putting clothes in the hamper, tapping on the computer's keyboard, and bringing toys to Clara (who by that time is usually playing on the floor in front of the mirror). The other main activity is helping Ted pick out his tie. The choices are always seriously considered. . .and then the same tie is selected every day--the burgundy with dots Ted is holding up here in the second picture. We wait with bated breath to see if one of the other options is ever chosen.

*Ted filed a report from the field indicating that after a long stretch during which the "Honey Nut" and "Brown" [chocolate; but you know that Loyal Fans] were mixed together in the same bowl, Joe now prefers both, but in separate bowls. It was a fraught moment the other morning when Joe was trying to communicate both (as in both Honey Nut and Brown), but not both in the same bowl. Must teach Joe the word "separate."

Joe Meets the Retaining Wall

Also this weekend, our ever-intrepid Hero, scaled the retaining wall that runs along the side of Darby's yard while he was off on a journey with his shopping cart. Initially, he would walk only a few feet along the wall, and only while holding Julie's hand, but after a bit, he was off to the races! All the way down and no hands! The photographer on site thought she snapped and saved a picture of Joe looking all proud right about the middle of the wall, but though snapped it was, saved it was not. So instead we are posting the photo in which you can see that Joe was even taller than Mommy while on top of the wall! Julie was a little apprehensive about all of this, but figured they walk on balance beams and the like at Little Gym. Of course, they have mats underneath everything at Little Gym, too. . .