3 Surprises for Grant...

If I had $1,000,000
(If I had $1,000,000)
I'd buy you a green dress
(But not a real green dress, that's cruel)
---Barenaked Ladies

The day after the birthday party, Grant had to work. While he was there, Michele and Anne bought Diane a green dress (along with some accessory bags) on the sale rack at JCPenney to surprise Grant with. Sammy was so excited that he wanted to surprise Grant when he returned home.

Surprise #1 - A green dress (but not a real one, that's cruel)

An unsuspecting Grant returns from work...

Sammy and his Aunt Annie prepare to surprise Grant...

Surprise #2 - Sammy surprises Grant from above...

Sammy gets ready to surprise Grant as he gets out of the elevator...

Surprise #3 - Sammy surprises Grant again...

Grant, Diane, the un-real green dress,
Sammy, and the green bag they got Diane...

The February Birthdays Party...

When we were up at Grants we had a big meal and birthday cake. Meatballs and (home-made) spaghetti of course. Desert featured a cake decorated by Sammy himself (with help from Grant & Diane).

The multi-person birthday cake...
...each candle represents 7.76 years...

Anne, Mike, Jayd, Paul, Vanessa, Brian...
...and what's left of dinner...

Chris serving dinner...

Some of the February birthday people blow out candles...

Sammy gets his birthday tickling from Grant, Diane, and Anne...

Vanessa and Brian (he really is smiling)...

Chris and Molly...

Chris and Molly...

Sammy cake...

Sammy cake, Sammy cake, bake me a cake,
bake me a cake as fast as you can...

A few weeks ago we went up to Grant's place in the cities to celebrate the "February birthdays." A surprising number of people in the family were born in February. A highlight for Sammy was getting to help make the birthday cake with Grant and Diane.

Putting the icing on the cake...

Sammy showing he knows his ABCs...

Grant gives Sammy's work a thumbs up...

Michele and the birthday boy...

A cake decorated by Sammy...

Sammy's 2nd Year Birthday Tour: Celebration

While Sammy was back in New York for his birthday, his great Aunts and Uncles came to visit him and celebrate Great Grandma's, Poppa's (Grandpa R), and Sammy's birthdays. Here are a few photos...

Having your cake and eating it....

Aunt Brenda, Sammy, and Uncle Chris...

Uncle Jimmy in the partying spirit...

Aunt Susie & Uncle Ron...

Aunt Susie, Great Grandma, and Grandma

Uncle Andy and Sammy sharing a laugh...

Sammy teaching his Aunts to dance...

Aunt Diane and Sammy...

Aunt Diane draped in curtains...

Uncle Jim, Great Grandma, Paulie, & Uncle Andy...

Group Shot...
Aunt Susie, the remote control, Great Grandma, Grandma...
Uncle Ron, Grandpa, Sammy, Aunt Diane, Uncle Andy...

Sleepy...or ice cream headache?

Sammy's 2nd Year Birthday Tour: RIF (Reading Is Fun)

One of the great honors Sammy can bestow on someone is asking them to read to him. While back home for his birthday tour, he asked just about everyone to read to him.

Grandma and Granpa read to Sammy...

Grandpa reads a book about Elmo and Ernie counting...

Aunt Susie reads the "Wheels on the Bus" to Sammy...

Chris, Sammy, and the Wheels on the Bus...

Aunt Liz the "Wheels on the Bus"...but is she singing it?

Uncle Jim likes the Wheels on the Bus too...

Aunt Brenda and Sammy have a good time with a book...

Sammy's 2nd Year Birthday Tour: Arriving in NY

After going to Massachusetts first, Sammy's next stop was in New York state to see his grandparents and the rest of his family there.

Sammy's Grandma & Grandpa R. ...

Sammy tells a joke...

Sammy with his Grandma R, Michele, and aunt Jaime....

What could they all be looking at?

Sammy "flies through the skies" to the Wiggles song..
...or perhaps he is demonstrating how we got from Minnesota to NY...

Sammy sleeps...

Our Son...the Pop Star...

Sammy put on a show for us earlier today...

It's only a matter of time before he has groupies...

ImmerSHAHn...

After recently reading Kermit Roosevelt' Jr's book on the 1953 CIA operation "AJAX" (the overthrew of Iran's democratically elected government to place the Shah in power), Paul has become somewhat obsessed with learning more about Iran and the Shah. What happened? Was he the despot he has been accused of? Could it have been avoided? How do you pronounce "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?" Iran certainly is more of a mess now.

Anyway, Paul immersing himself in book after book on the Shah was bound to have a side effect. The Shah recently appeared in one of Paul's dreams to instruct him on interior design (apparently H.I.M. favors Herman Miller...it goes without saying Paul should not eat before going to bed). The amazing thing about the Shah in his dream was that the descriptions Paul's read about him so far are uncannily accurate...go figure.

Did the real Shah own a Herman Miller Eames lounge chair & ottoman?

Aunt Anne & Aunt Diane Visit Sammy for Breakfast

Yesterday Sammy's Aunt Anne & Diane came to visit for breakfast. We went to the Pannekoeken restaurant. As most visits with Sammy's aunts, this one was far too short. He looks forward to seeing them again.

Some video from their visit...

Juice...

Moving onward with technology we've upgraded to a Sony HDR-CX7 HD video camera. It's pertty cool...about the size of a can of Pepsi.

Here's a short video we took of Sammy today...

Juice...

Sammy's 2nd Year Birthday Tour: Grandma & Grandpa's

Next stop on Sammy's birthday tour back east was his Grandma & Grandpa R's house. More to come!

Grandma & Grandpa R eagerly awaited Sammy's arrival...

Sammy's 2nd Year Birthday Tour: Massachusetts

For Sammy's second birthday, he and Michele traveled back east to visit with relatives. First they went to Massachusetts to visit his aunt Jaime. Michele's cousin Justin drove up from New Jersey to go to the New England Aquarium with them. Michele and Sammy stayed there a few days before heading to New York State.

Michele, Sammy, his aunt Jaimie, and Justin at the New England Aquarium...
...is that little mermaid stalking Sammy?

Inspired by the Wiggles, aunt Jaime and Christopher "do the Tiger..."

Sammy finds room behind aunt Jaimie's sofa...

A master of onomatopoeia in his own right, Justin reads to Sammy
"Mr Brown Can Moo, Can you? (Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises)"

An impressed Sammy realizes Justin can truly make noises like Mr. Brown...

Sammy, Michele, and aunt Jaime...