September

This is a 2-fer... First you have Adrienne in the background "Whatch you doin' mommy" which we hear ALL day long. Second I FINALLY caught Nick doing his 'anticipation face' but he's smiling so it's not as intense looking as usual. I've GOT to get another video of this. It's hysterical...


Poo. Cough. Yawn. Giggle.

That's Nick.

Whether or not they win Gap's Casting Call this year (yes, they've been entered) they are TOTALLY the cutest kids in America. PERIOD!

RIGHT!?!? Too freakin' cute!

A mini-preview / tease of Nick's Halloween costume.... Elton, Elvis, Liberace.... hmmm... who is Nick going to be....?!

Maybe the best (only) thing about moving that I've embraced whole-heartedly: The pure joy Nick & Adrienne find with getting their own box. (OK, putting The Wiggles on helps too...)

Nick's doing GRRRRR-EAT with his sippy cups. Except for the fact that he has to invert himself because he constantly holds them UPSIDE DOWN!!!!!

As soon as I stopped filming he let out a big "MA-MUH" and smacked a big, sloppy wet kiss right on my lips.


Now that he's walkin' tall - his first pair of REAL shoes!

(not to be confused with the 'fake' shoes from a few weeks ago that were only purchased so we could put him down while we were out & about)

At the Union Greek festival where we gorged ourselves on pastitsio, Greek Salad...
(no, no Adrienne - it's GrEEk food, not sEEfood!)

and dolmathes, keftethes & spanakopita!

And loukoumades (lou-ka-da-das) for dessert (note the flower balloon which eventually became a cactus after she dragged it across the parking lot)

...all of which can be seen in Nick's belly which his shirt no longer covers.

No matter what function we're at, the minute she hears Greek music she busts out the same foot-stomping-shake-the-water-out-of-her-ear dance.

I don't want to jinx it but the crib (um, cage?) & ALL of their stuffed animals = a solid 15min where they're contained & I can actually get stuff done.
Adrienne's nouna & nouno (right back at ya babci/nusie/pannis/grand dew!!) sent her a fabulous pair of rainboots. She put them on BY HERSELF (!!!) and on the RIGHT feet (ok, it's a 50/50).
Why she isn't wearing a shirt: She was playing around with the hose. No biggie - the water was off. Well, she figured out how to turn the water on.
(And don't miss Nick in the background pulling a Where's Waldo)

Couch Potato - explained. No seriously, where DID her neck go?!
It's a little bring-out-the-gimp-ish but I was fairly impressed with the fact that he put it on himself.

I have NO idea who taught her this but she suddenly leaned back, showed me her guns & did her best Hans and Franz pump you up scowl.
So Adrienne is now in her 3rd class at school. First she had Jojo. Then Ashley (Ashee).

Next she had Miss Aruna & Miss Theresa but Theresa was trumped by her daughter Miss Micela (Miss'Acela) who comes to visit every so often.


And this year she's in Stephanie's (Nuffanie) class!

Not that I needed it, but confirmation that I AM end-all-be-all.
(Incorrect plural / possessive of Daddy is excused - I'd be fried too if I had to keep 6 2 1/2yr olds in line all-day-every-day.)
After a TORTURESOME 9 month wait of not knowing if Adrienne & Nick's 2nd first cousin was a Victoria Taylor or a Lucas Anthony.... SHE weighed in a 9lbs 5.4oz!!! And yes, those cheeks ARE as delicious to squeeze as they look!

And here they are, the newest Billowseses

I was NOT going to miss being at the hospital the day of Tori's arrival so I had 'Operation Ashley' worked out months ahead. The minute I found out Tori was on the way I had Ashley lined up to babysit hours later so I could go spend some QT with my very FIRST GODDAUGHTER!!!!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY
Nicholas Charles / Nick / Nick Knack / Niko / Mick / Mickaronious / Mickaronis!!!!

And how does he celebrate!?
By slamming his face into couch cushions.
(Remember the kid that likes to wear a bucket on his head and run into walls in the movie Parenthood? That's all I'm saying....)

Nick's got big doins' in September!
Birthday Boy!
Decked out in their finest J-E-T-S gear for Nick's party.

Somehow the only kid missing from the 'kids' picture is the one that isn't
mobile yet! Sorry Liv!

No clown car, just a golf cart at this shindig.

Nicole even got to drive thanks to Greg Flintstone & Glenn Rubble.

The Safest Swing in America

Also the Safest Pool in America where there were more kids & balls than
molecules of water.
Gift time. This says it all. Nick sitting there completed stunned in a swarm of chaos as the kids attacked the gift pile.

But then he got into it.

Annnnnnnd flashback to Easter when all he wanted was the celophane. Hellllloooo
tissue paper!!!

It's just not a birthday without a Carvel cake....

I missed getting a shot of him shoveling it in (which he no doubt did) but I did manage to get his lovely finger painting job after the fact...

Afterwards he found some peace & quiet under the dining room table. Or, more
likely, he was hungry (again) & looking for some rogue globs of ice cream cake.

The day after his birthday party - HIS FIRST STEPS!!!
(And who is more excited about it...?)



Their new favorite play spot - IN the toy baskets.
Adrienne managed to figure out how to turn the basket into a ride.
And completely oblivious to Adrienne's Magic Basket Ride, Nick is LOVING the clackers (yes, that's a face of pure joy)

Nick's 1st train ride - from New Brunswick to Metro Park & back.

Good ol' Metro Park wasn't going to let us down (where Ade & I were stuck waiting for a 30min+ late train in 95 degree heat a few weeks ago that was perpetually 'on time')...

We braved a dinner out at Marita's after the train ride. A beautiful night, sitting outside - we were even given our own little section off to the side hidden by a big column (shocker - just what the staff wants to see walk into a college bar - 2 haggered & weary 30-somethings with 2 little kids). ANYWAY, between the trains, the gi-normous firetruck, the ambulances, one of the busiest intersections in New Brunswick & the continuous stream of food, the kids were entertained long enough for me to actually enjoy TWO margaritas! After Adrienne OD'd on chocolate milk & fried ice cream she announced (at the top of her lungs, of course) "I'M POOPIN' MOMMY!" And.... that would be our cue to leave.
McMick Sandwich