Happy Birthday JJ

Time sure flies when you are getting old. How did this happen? One day, on your way to grade school, you find a baby left by the side of the road... Just kidding, there were witnesses, and a paper trail (rats!). :)

We kicked off the day with a hearty breakfast, then waited for Grandpa. We headed over to C0stc0, where JJ took our first gift to him to heart (SS's T-shirt), and totally ignored her cries for help. Our wonderfully manipulative daughter, was unable to guilt JJ into getting her out of the shopping cart. Guess he really wanted that XBOX (from Abu and us). SS cried for only a minute before giving up. Thank Godess for that, there is hope for us. Grandpa gave JJ his present last Thursday, plus a fabulous dinner last night.

Abu made rellenos de papa for lunch, and P made ropa vieja over rice for dinner. The weather turned on us, and instead of the expected sunshine, we dealt with strong winds, lighting and thunder. Oh well, when you have a Wii and an XBOX, it really does not matter. SS spent the afternoon pretending to play video games, and "borrowing" her brother's game controls and cell phone. Then she was shocked when she landed in time out.

JJ is leaving tomorrow and we are already missing him. The three of us were an island for so long, and that is difficult to give up. Very often we find ourselves bending over in laughter, over some silly memory. Then we realize that we are getting weird looks, and that is often from our own family. When JJ is here, we laugh, A LOT. This afternoon he mentioned how much he enjoys our ability to laugh at ourselves. Same here JJ. Next time, we will be the ones driving to see him.

How many men does it take to get shoes on a little girl?

Mama and Baba say I have to share. I am sure that certainly applies to JJ, and whatever he gets for his birthday, or owns, or will ever own.

How come I get a time out for following directions and sharing? Well, my T-shirt says it all, it IS my brother's fault.

Rellenos de Papa

Ropa Vieja

Way too much excitement, coupled with skipping her nap, equals out like a light by 7:30 p.m.

Happy birthday JJ, thank you for taking the initiative to spend time with us.

Abu and Grandpa, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You made the kids' birthdays truly special. We realize that you both would love to spend more time with JJ & SS. Sadly, Puerto Rico and Maui are not a short drive away. We know that they will forever cherish this year's birthdays, because they shared them with their grandparents. Although SS will not remember, we have plenty of pictures, video and our collective memories, to pass on to her.