Fashion statement

You decide: gangsta or engineering school grad student?




On an unrelated note (but wearing the same outfit, so I'm including it here), though it doesn't look like Amalia thinks much of the bear that sings "You're the One that I Want" from Grease, it actually is the most frequent cause of her "more" hand sign.

Whatcha wannabee?

Since we're not Korean in the slightest, we modified their culture's first birthday toljabee tradition to see what Amalia's future portends. We call it the wannabee ceremony.

Amalia selected the money, which apparently means she'll be rich or never wanting in life.

Hey! Is this only a $1 bill?!?

Ah, the smell of cold, hard cash.

In case you're wondering, Lily chose the pencil on her first birthday, which means she'll be an academic or scholar.

Apparently neither of the girls will be centenarians, since neither selected the string for long life.

Welcome to toddlerhood!

After a week-long celebration of Lily's birthday, Amalia's special day finally arrived.

Amalia knows it's polite to read the card first.

Lily "helped" open the gifts "for Amalia."

Open. Close. Open. Close. Ad nauseam...

More "help."

I love it!...What is it?

More bars in more places.

Let them wear cake

More photos of our combined birthday celebrations. I think I'll just let these pictures speak for themselves -- although a few of them might be caption-contest worthy.

The big 4.0

My mother sent the girls matching cupcake dresses for their birthdays, which they tried on Saturday night (the day before Lily's big day).

Here, Lily is waiting patiently as we *try* to get a picture of her and Amalia together.

Still waiting.

Good enough.

Sunday morning. Lily slept in her dress so she would be ready for her birthday as soon as she woke up. Definitely a planner, that girl.

Even her hair was ready to celebrate.

The much-anticipated silver shoes.

For those keeping score, Lily's immediate next question was, "Where's the turtle?" Delinquent on this item, Andy and I pointed out that turtles are very slow, so he might be late...

Daddy, can I have a pony?

Every girl should get a pony for her 4th birthday, right? Lily's is named Carousel (how fitting) and he was on loan to us just for the day.

And what was Amalia doing during all this? (Aside from calling the horses, "Bo!"?) Eating dirt, of course.

Of slobber and sprinkles...

...and giving Mom wrinkles; that's what the Pierce girls are made of.

Blue really has gotten much more patient. If we had a third child, he'd probably give her Dobie-back rides.

Blowing kisses.

Unrequited love.

I'm pretty sure this wasn't the recalled batch of cookie dough.

Concentration.