Buddy's New Best Friend

Two Months of Sundays

Okay, so Pax has been habitating with us for two months now so I thought I'd send around the 2-month photo update with his friend, Cordy Roy the lion.

But first, let's jump into the time machine and see what Mae and I were looking like at 2 months.

We couldn't find many photos of me but here is one in the bath from just about two months. I mean, what's with the Elvis Presley jerry curl?

Okay, it gets worse. Here's Mae with Charlie the Bear and then...

Upcoming language alert!! Jesus Christ, Mabel!! Did we seriously let you go out of the house like that? And to think we thought you were cute, your hair looks like a ramp off of which Evil Knievel would conduct a motorcycle stunt.

And then there's Pax. Cute. As. A. Button.

Butterfly Bonanza

So check this out. Mom and Dad's friend Steph gave us this amazing butterfly thingy.

The caterpillars came in a jar and then you put them in this house where they could morph into butterflies.

So they crawled up into their chrysallis'es and did their thing for a few days...

and then they turned into real live butterflies! There were two boys and two girls and I named them Zachary, Rainbow, Flutter and Jacque-Jacque, and then it was time for their release into the real world.

We were going to go to a park to release them into nature but we decided to do it in our backyard so that maybe they would live somewhere close by.

Okay, get ready. Are you ready?

And GO!

Then it was Mae's turn.

Whatcha got in there, Mae?

And GO!

And after three of them had flown away, Flutter decided to set up shop on Mae's wand. We knew from the get-go that she was kind of a home body and might have a tough time leaving the nest; she always did seem to have dependency issues...

Eventually Flutter flew the roost. She's right there in that picture. What, you mean you can't see her?

My Disney Vacation

Okay, so this post is gonna be all over the place. Buckle up and try to follow along.

Went to Disney. Flew out with my Uncle Brian and Aunt Tasha and met (deep breath): Nana, Papa, Uncle Kenny, Aunt Suzie, Hannah, Luke, Sophi, Isaiah and Eli there.

And then the fun began. Met a few celebrities:

Pluto

Mickey and Minnie

Rapunzel

Sleeping Beauty

Cinderella (somebody had a crush. Raise your hand Isaiah, go ahead, don't be ashamed)

Went swimming with my buddies

Went on Dumbo ride

Not pictured: Saw light parade, went on Thunder Mountain, got soaked on water raft trip, did some safari thing, stayed in one day because it was too hot.

Pictured: Hung with Soph-Dogg

Jumped as high as we could

Got super tired out

Then after all that, when asked, I told my Dad my favorite part of the trip was riding home in the truck with Nana and Papa and hanging at the hotel pools with Isaiah and Eli (which I then overheard him telling Mom: "Well Jeez, if they want to go to Disney we can probably just save some cash by throwing Eli and Isaiah in the car and driving to Ohio and staying at a Holiday Inn." Nice try, dude, I'll see you at Disney in 2015.).

And when I got home I gave Mae her Minnie Mouse ears... think she likes them?

All in all, I just had a really really really really really good time, all thanks to Nana and Papa who invited me to come along. Big smiles all around.

And... exhale.

Father's Day... My Day

Well, if you've been following lately you know Fin is in Disney World and she left me - "Ralph" - in charge of the blog while she's gone.

So since I have the floor here I'd just like to take a few moments because, well, it's Father's Day, so rumor has it I can do what I want today. And what I want to do is spend some time honoring all three of my dogs (and this is the part where the girls go "whoof whoof!")

Each one, such an individual.

There's Finley Ames, for whom this blog was birthed. Smart as a whip, often a full blown adult emotionally and a wonderfully sensitive soul. The bond forged from years of "midnight parties" (nights wide awake due to ear infections) with Fin will forever go unbroken. She's well aware that wherever she goes in this life, and no matter who she meets, she will never know anyone who loves her more than her Dad (sorry, dude who has the task of marrying this one, you're forever in second place). Fin knows me inside and out - often offering me her last bite of chocolate donut or pizza, or asking if I need a back scratch - and it's kinda nice to have a little person always looking out for me, literally caring for me when five year olds are supposed to be thinking only of themselves. Constantly proud of her, this kid and I are as thick as thieves.

Ahhh, Mabel Jane, no matter the room I'm in it immediately gets brighter when this breath of fresh air enters. It wasn't til she was two years old that I learned the name "Mabel" means "Loveable." Unfathomably appropriate. This one spends 94% of her time kissing and hugging people, and her ability at a young age to put other people's happiness before her own has always made me smile. The comedian of our crew, her theatrics keep us in stitches, and her love of music (you can't drive one block without her screaming "turn up the music!") reminds me of someone else I know. This one is a chip off the old block and there is not a person on earth I enjoy being around more.

Little Pax - the man with the mohawk came in with a bang and though we're just getting to know each other he has already reintroduced to our world a wonderful and important gift - perspective. He gave us a run for our money back on May 11, but he now knows how tough a bird his momma is, so he's been on his best behavior since. Looking so forward to watching him grow into a little dude and thankful that him coming out as a boy will give Dad a little break from the estrogen jungle as the years go by.

And there'd be no Father's Day without, simply put, the love of my life. Appropriately standing in the middle of these two, she is the glue in this family that keeps us going. For who she is, this day is as much hers as mine.

My three amigos, my three blind mice, the three little pigs... whatever you want to call them, they bless me not just this Father's Day, but every day. Now Finley, GET BACK HOME FROM DISNEY WORLD - YOUR DAD MISSES YOU!!!

BMX Queen

Hello all, so it looks like Finley blew my cover. It's me - "Ralph" - photo editor and fill-in autobiographer. I apologize up front for my lack of creativity compared to Fin's writing but I'll do my best.

Grandma was here for a couple weeks and she had previously brought Mabel a bike. Well this visit we got it fixed up a little bit - think new tire, straightened handlebars and bell on the front - and away she went.

And soon she was riding on her own.

And by the next day, well, I could barely keep up as she was speeding up and down the block.

Big shout-out to Grandma for bringing such a wonderful gift such a long way. Thanks Grandma!

Disney - DisME!

So the recent posts you've been reading have probably lacked some of the quality writing you've grown accustomed to here at FinleysBeginleys. That's because, well, they weren't penned by moi. My photo editor - we'll call him Ralph - has taken over the keyboard to let you know what's going on at home because I'm actually sending him this transcript to post from DISNEY WORLD!!!

Yep, left last Sunday morning on an airplane with my Uncle Brian and Aunt Tasha and met up at Disney with Nana, Papa, Uncle Kenny, Aunt Suzy, Hannah, Luke, Sophie, Eli and Isaiah.

I only have a few photos that I've taken from my mobile device and forwarded to "Ralph" so here you go. Many more to come upon my return.

Okay, gotta run, off to Thunder Mountain. Ciao for niao!