High chairs, some extortion perhaps involving a small construction worker, and Boba Fett

Before we get to our exciting news, the twins have started feeding themselves with various degrees of success. Miranda shows how much fun pureed carrots can be when applied by a baby, and Catie shows the after picture. That thing she is holding is her bib; she managed to take it off all by herself.

We also have been socializing. Stevie and Lisa come over last Thursday. Lisa bought a tasty pizza and Stevie fixed the stove, the fridge, several chairs, and the couch. Fortunately, they all just needed something from his trusty toolbox -- a plastic hammer, wrench, and pliers. After dinner Stevie looks for more broken objects while Erika has some fun sitting on Daddy's lap. (Although I may have interrupted a shakedown. Look where Erika's hand is and how she has her 'muscle' with her. Hmmmmmm)

And finally, your eyes do not deceive you. Erika is indeed holding Bobba Fett. He had been on a top-secret mission with some cars and is only now able to return safely to this universe. We are glad to have him back, but sad he missed his place in the creche with Hello Kitty and the Lucky Cat figures along side the more traditional Mary, Joseph, shepherds, etc. Maybe next year. For now, we are happy that the prodigal action figure has returned.

Rub-a-dub-dub

Tonight's bedtime routine had a new twist to it. The twins took their bath in the bit tub together. Lots of splashing and smiles ensued. Here is a picture as they first entered the water. Catie is on the left and Miranda is on the right. (Miranda is also showing that she really enjoyed the pureed squash at supper. )

Catie can not believe that a baby could have this much fun!

Miranda is stunned by the possibilities.

After helping the twins understand the joys of splashing, Erika insists on joining her sisters. (Catie is holding the pink sponge)
Rub-a-dub-dub, three Wetzels in a tub! Now, they really start sharing a bathroom. (And Mommy and Daddy have embarrassing pictures hee-hee)

Dance Class

This winter we signed up for a dance class. Erika's friend, Takara, takes dance lessons and invited Erika to a bring-a-friend class. We went and Erika was hooked. The class is a combo of pre-ballet and pre-tap. Below, Erika shows her dancing ensemble. The flower headband and beaded necklace are optional in the dress code. However, not to an aspiring fairy princess ballerina such as Erika.

Erika demonstrates some of the new steps she learned in class. The school also sells tu-tus. Erika liked the orange one. It is now on her list of things to get.

The three amigas. Who says you need to wear a tu-tu on your waist? These double as hats that can transform the fairies into flowers. From left to right -- Maya, Erika, and Takara.










And the twins want to join in the fun of course. However, dancing around is hard when one is only sitting. Miranda and Cate have fun watching everybody change and playing with the teething necklace and wooden block toy. Miranda is on the left and Cate is on the right. Just seconds before I took this picture, they were playing tug of war with the necklace. Miranda wins this round, while Cate is happy to pose for pictures.

Monday at PCC

Monday at PCC

Mondays usually find us with the Foxes. Often we meet at PCC, a whole foods store, for lunch and a bit of food shopping. (PCC has a nice selection of sandwiches, soups, and hot items) Here Erika relaxes in the front of the store after a hearty lunch of Mac & Cheese and cookies. Her friend, Takara, is always on the move. All the pictures of her were blurry.

I often talk about my friend, Bethany. Here ia a picture of her holding Catie as I finish lunch.

Finally, Catie and Miranda show off their new stroller. They grew out of their baby car seats and are now in toddler car seats. The toddler car seats are not designed to be lifted out of the minivan. Hence the new stroller. Miranda smiles as she reads her "This Little Piggy" book, while Catie carefully peruses "the Pink Princess"

Equal Time

In the interest of equal time, this post will be dedicated to the twins. They have moved past rice cereal and strained carrots to mashed avacado and cheerios. Miranda shows the patented Cheerios move.

Catie is also enjoying the Cheerios addition to her diet. Note the almost pincer grasp in her left hand. She is calcuating how many Cheerios can hit the floor before Mommy takes them away.

Miranda's dojo is back in session. Here she shows how ordinary objects can be for self defense. You just think this is a toy mop; Dolly knows better as she tastes defeat again.

It's far too early in the morning for pictures

A link about the financial Crisis

Since there are a fair number of financially-minded people who happen to follow our blog I though I would post a link to this: financial-crisis-for-beginners
Not that you are beginners, but it breaks things down clearly.
Happy reading!

Chirstmas Eve

Well, the Christmas Eve post is a bit late. But the pictures are here for your boxing day enjoyment.

Here Erika sets out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. She is also having a snack as she squirts yogurt into her mouth. The babies were not getting the whole Santa idea so they were already in bed.











However, the babies have been busy as well. Catie tries to make sense of the past year by reading the week magazine. (she is advanced you know ha-ha)














Next photo is also of Catie as she shows off her flexibility. Toes are fun!










Last, Catie and Miranda before going to bed on Christmas eve. Observant readers will notice that this photo is from the same series as Miranda's Dojo.

First White Christmas in 18 years!

Did we go anywhere for Christmas? No. Not even if we wanted to.
The Pacific Northwest was completely shut down due to snow since Wednesday the 17th. And Before Jackie starts wondering aloud how it could be such a simple things as snow could completely paralyze us from Portland to Seattle let me remind you mid-westerners that the last time it snowed like this was in 1990.

Also, the area is riddled with streams and creeks which are important for Salmon and other things which are not as tasty in my opinion, so we don't use salt on the streets. We use something that is less environmentally impacting, cheaper, and completely ineffective.

Plus no one has a snow blower, or a plow or anything! And no road is flat. Seattle itself if built on 7 hills. So no, you cannot go anywhere if it really snows. Not by car, or bus, or train, or bicycle. The airport? Good luck with that.



Welcome to Miranda's dojo: Sensei Miranda allows Grasshopper Dolly to taste defeat. Pike training is about to begin. Just try to take it.


Catie tried to take it.


Thanks to "grams" Kathy for the matching outfits.
In the wrestling chaos I think we lost track of who is who. (Actually Catie is on top)

Erika sings, and defends Boba Fett

Erika is beginning to enjoy music.
Just this evening while Jackie and I were bathing the babes, Erika was spinning around in a swivel chair. She was singing, "You spin me right round baby right round like a record..."
I asked what a record was and she said she didn't know. She might never know until history class.

Also, I had previously recorded some Kipper the Dog cartoons, and between episodes, Comcast advertises music on demand. Erika heard some clip from a music video and demanded to hear the whole song. It took some clever searching with iTunes, but we now ($0.99 later) listen to Fergi sing "Big Girls Don't Cry." I had never heard of this Fergi person, but there you have it.

Also, as Erika becomes Pop-culture aware, she has been asking me what the pricess says. I'm supposed to reply, "Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." Then she practices this sentence. The practice is usually followed her telling me how Boba Fett is better than Darth Vader. But Darth Vader is nice too. She wants to know why I dressed up as darth vader for halloween when I was a boy. This kinda blows my mind since I remember mentioning this only in passing, but it had clearly captured her imagination.

But as the holidays come to fruition, our Boba Fett action figure has gone missing. His usual spot in our nativity scene will remain open. You never know when he will show up. His true origions are a mystery, his humanity ambiguous. He fits right in.

Cabin Fever 2008

We've been having some snow this week. Right now we are bracing for the phase 2 assault of snow which will supposedly include wind.
It is not always a relaxing time in the Wetzel household.


Below we see some science being done. Thanks to Grandma Kathy sending Erika a kit for color experimentation.


Can't go to the beach? How about the kitchen?

Erika turns 4. Video edition

Erika turns 4

Grandma glady and Auntie Jayne sent some lovely fairy apparel.


The flower cake sent by Grandma Kathy was of great interest to all the girls.
Notice the expert-level sitting-up skills on display!


And the novelty cupcake molds sent by Great Aunt Eilene (I think!) were used creatively.

Flower Children in Wetzelland

Time to update the blog. I've noticed that the pictures today have a 60s feel and decided to go with that theme.

June (a.k.a Jungle, a.k.a. Erika) saw pink glasses at the party store and simply had to have them. With her dotted shirt and purple pants, she is showing that the 60s live on. Pink Power!
(BTW, June is another character on her favorite video game, Katamari, and her new nom de plume. Just when I got used to calling her Jungle . . . )


Miranda has mastered the art of sitting by herself and uses her new-found freedom to chew on things located 8 inches above ground level. In this case, it is the bottom of the shoe rack hung in our front closet. Mmmmm . . . tasty.
(This is indeed Miranda breaking the stripe protocol due to an unfortunate spit-up incident combined with Mommy's lax attitude toward the wash lately.)

Catie shows off her long eyelashes as she flings her stuffed toy around. She is also showing the adventurous fashion spirit with her bib worn rakishly over the shoulder.

Uncle Ed and aunt Jeraline

Here we have the oldest and youngest Wetzels bonding during the Thanksgiving holiday. Ed is actually the youngest of the origional Wetzel clan, and he has 9 children, and so we are tagging along with these cousins for the holiday.

Aunt Jeraline demonstrates how a bouncy knee is the secret to a sleeping baby.
We also spent some time at the Hayatsu family Thanksgiving, but I forgot to take pictures there.
Overall, it was a 10 hour outing and the babies did not even cry once! They do not yet have stranger anxiety, so there is nothing better than being passed around and sleeping on whomever they can.

They call her Jungle

Erika now prefers to be called "Jungle" these days.

Any mention of "cupcake" is harshly reproached.

As for this photo, I will let the readers suggest a caption.

November naptime.

Four out of five Wetzels are asleep right now. Daddy does not know what to do with himself, so he decides to rake leaves. It is the rainy, drizzly time of year now. The moss is really loving it.
I put extra grass seed on some bare spots in the lawn a couple weeks ago, but I think the birds ate it all! I haven't been in the yard for a couple weeks and I see that there are lots of mushrooms, an insane amount of moss, and one rat carcass. That last one was a bit of a surprise, and I came *this* close to putting it on the blog, but I guess fortunately for you I didn't! So anyway here's some moss from our back yard, it's kinda pretty, in a hobbit sort of way.

2008 Ohio visit

Grandma Kathy and Miranda

Great Grandma Huges and Cate.

Family photo!

Grandpa Keith and Miranda take a moment to bond.

2008 Ohio visit

Great Grandma Hughes and Cate.


Great Uncle Chuck examines Miranda's foot, apparently.


Great aunt Ilene becomes a chew toy.


Aunt Kimi and Mirand having fun.

History being made etc.

No, I'm not going to write anything snarky.
The dems won fair and square. Erika observes.