Update - and suspending the suspension of disbelief

Hi everybody!
It's me, Julien the Toddler!
I am very sorry for not having blogged for some time.
I always like to say that there's a lot going on. That is the usual excuse / reason I use for the delays I have with blogging.
I also have some very sad news to report. Most of you may already know this... basically, my beloved maternal grandfather, aka Daddy X, passed away on November 5, 2011. He had physical problems for the past few years, and things got worse in the latter part of 2011. We visited him several times in 2011 - February, July, August, and October. And we have skyped together a lot. Momma was able to see him right before he passed away.
Here are some pictures (video stills) from our October visit (Oct 24, 2011). We are sharing fruit salad and rice pudding / tapioca together. We also helped feed each other.
I miss Daddy X a lot - we always had a lot of fun together.




Also, I know that a lot of you think that I'm writing this blog on my own. I'm sure a lot of you have suspended disbelief that a toddler can blog. So to briefly suspend this suspension of disbelief, I want to explain that it's my own daddy who ghostwrites the blog under my name. But regarding Daddy X, there is a lot of video footage that my parents have filmed of us together, where we are both very happy and active together. And in the Todd Parr "Family" book that my parents have read, one page mentions the loss of a loved one, and we talk about Daddy X. I definitely recognize and point out pictures of Daddy X, and I know that as I get older, I'll get to watch videos where I am playing with Daddy X, and I will continue to see even more pictures of Daddy X.
I love you, Daddy X!
And in the meantime, I get to enjoy and charm my other grandparents. Well, and everyone else around me!
Love,
Julien the Toddler
ps - happy belated Thanksgiving, December holidays, and Happy New Year!

October 14: Happy anniversary to my Maternal Grandparents!

Hi everybody!
It's me, Julien the Baby! I've been so busy these past few days with my new Tot Gym activities, that I forgot to wish Mommy's parents a Happy Anniversary!
So for Grams and Grandaddy X, Happy Anniversary from me, Julien the Baby!


It's hard to believe that the camera phones were able to take pictures in black and white when my grandparents got married. I thought that black and white pictures were done with very new technology. I have a lot to learn!
Anyway I look forward to seeing my grandparents very soon!!!
Love,
Julien the Baby

And even more pictures from the reunion!

Hi again everyone!
Here are more pictures from the family reunion!
On Saturday August 7, there was a gathering at the club where Grandaddy X, his sisters, and his parents used to play. My grandparents are still members, but both my great aunts moved away to other states. Anyway their cousins Paul and Ken, and their parents, were also members of the club. Interestingly, Grandaddy X's cousin Paul and Grams were classmates and friends in school. Then again, Grams and Grandaddy X's sister were childhood friends before Grams and Grandaddy X got married. Lots of fun history there!

Here I am with Amelia and Carter.

Here's a fun picture - Thatcher, PJ, Amelia, Carter, and Noah - all striking a pose!

Here's a great shot of *everyone* - Grandaddy X and his sisters, plus their cousins Paul and Ken... and then many of their descendants. Not everyone in the family was able to attend.

Here I am with Aunt Nancy and my grandparents' long-time friends Ann & Ray. Ray is also known for having been a broadcaster with the Cardinals, as well as having been mayor in the town where my grandparents live! Some of my mommy's boy cousins (specifically Terry and Rob) were so excited to see Ray. That was really fun.

Here I am with Grandaddy X's cousin Paul, who went to school with Grams! We were very comfortable kicking back together.

Love,
Julien the Baby

More pictures from the family reunion!

Hi everyone!
I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been blogging. I'm so far behind.
I still want to share pictures from the August family reunion!

Here is a picture of a poster that Mommy made - she made posters for each of the siblings (Grandaddy X and his 2 sisters). Maya helped with the picture cuttings, and DOJ (Daddy) helped attach glue between the pictures and the posters. But it was really Mommy and Maya who did the best work.

Here's Aunt Nancy and Grandaddy X! Grandaddy X really loved the posters - he was spending a lot of time looking at them before the reunion dinner at his house.

As you can see, there were lots of family members - naturally they started to gather in the front entryway, looking at the posters and each other... Grandaddy X and his sister Ann had fun seats, watching everyone. Grams was having a fun conversation with Mommy's cousin Ellen (from Ireland) - you may remember that Ellen is the mommy to PJ, Jamie, and Amelia.

Family merged to other rooms in the house. In this picture, you can see Mommy with her cousin Dave, his wife Claudia, and their daughter Lindsey (their son Nicholas was in another room). Dave's mommy Jane (Grandaddy X's sister) is also here... and yes, I'm here with Amelia and Carter!

Here are some of my second cousins in the den - Lindsey, Adam, Noah, and Amelia.

I've really missed blogging! More reunion pictures to come... as well as my other adventures of the past month. Shouts out to Ruby!!!

love,
Julien the Baby

Chicagoland

Hi everybody!
Sorry for the long silence of the blog. No excuse except that I've been rather busy this month being a baby - I'm 13 months old and there's just so much to do.
I spent the first week of July in Chicagoland with my parents, as we were visiting my maternal grandparents, as well as other friends and family, such as Aunt Nancy and Uncle Glenn.
Here's a picture of me on the plane!

Hopefully I'll find time to do a blogpost about the actual trip. I had a lot of fun, which included spending time with my new cousin Zoe and my friend Maya.
I would have blogged earlier today but instead I hung out in the playground with Ruby! Just in case you were worried that I hadn't seen Ruby lately...
I should be sleeping now!
Love,
Julien the Baby