Happy Birthday Tua

Tua's Birthday Party was very much in her character: small, but full of life. We decided to not risk getting stranded in the city with the pending blizzard so we stayed here. As always happens when a party is thrown together at the last minute, our guest list was rather short and we had to bring in a few reserves, like the fellow on the right below in the photo of Tua and her Nona opening a birthday treat.






Below is a scene from the days events: Seth and his brother salvaging the plow from a snowbank.

Parties (Two and Counting)

Tua's first birthday is causing quite a stir here. There has been no lack of fanfare here in the days leading up to the 31st (which as of today, has not arrived yet).



Saturday night, Tua and I baked a cake with the title of "Death by Chocolate". She picked it out and insisted that I substitute the 16 oz of semi sweet for the same amount in a 90% special dark Ghirardelli. That was a sure sign that she has inherited another of her mothers tastes. Here we are sampling the batter.








We the took the finished product to my parents for an evening of very good food and company.
At the end of the evening, we served cake and Tua (though indifferent to the candle and the attention) was very much taken with the outcome of her first birthday dessert.




Today, we all went to the Sunday brunch at the Woodstock Inn. This brunch has a capacity to render one useless for several hours following. The food is delicious and plentiful.


Here, Tua waits ( in the arms of my dad) for the buffet line to open up.

Tua, waiting for the rest of the slow eaters to finish.

And waiting...............

and...........

Tomorrow is the big event. If the weather cooperates , we might try for first night in Boston. However, we're thinking of perhaps not setting the bar too high. Fireworks on her first birthday might set a exciting yet regrettable precedent.

Christmas Day

The following pictures are from today. They begin with Tua primping for her first Christmas. The last one is of her first gift, which turned out to be a lovely doll named Nelly.

Merry Christmas. God bless us, every one.

Snow, again

up all day

Tua had a banner day on Sunday. It was the first time she was able to go without (or refused) to take a nap. Her demeanor was shiftless and she was able to toss out a smile at any given hour. The twenty hours of blinding snowfall kept us all indoors for most of the day. The days highlights include:

A transfixed Tua motionless as she takes in the spinning anglic breakfast host. Missing from the photo is the plate of waffles that she had just sent overboard.


Having just lit the tree, Tua gives us a one second parting shot before turning back to watch the lights.

Below, Tua gains the ability to walk with only a one hand assist. It only works however, if the other hand is holding on to something else, like a hat.

Toddler Life

Toddler life is very tiring, but it always presents something new each day...today: pigtails.

Peter Silly Honey

Tua was the lucky one today. Her Birthday is just over a month away and we figured since she'll have little to no remembrance of the event, we would do no harm in giving her an early gift. Jenny found her a stuffed rabbit from Germany with the name Peter Silly Honey tagged to the bottom of it. From what little I can recall from my childhood, I seem to remember a certain liberty when it came to naming stuffed toys. But we like the name that came with this one and Tua is too young to pick a title and as far as names go in general, it's a keeper. How could you forget a name like that? The pair get along very well and Tua is already requesting his company as she travels from room to room.