This is the website of Abulsme Noibatno Itramne (also known as Sam Minter). Posts here are rare these days. For current stuff, follow me on Mastodon

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Pics from Jan 2015

1027 pictures for the month. First pass got it down to 80. Next to 48. Then finally to the 31 here.

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2015-01-01 07:58 UTC – Sometimes waiting for the new year is not fun.

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2015-02-01 08:04 UTC – Then the fireworks start.

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2015-01-01 08:07 UTC – Then everybody was happy again. And it was 2015!

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2015-01-02 02:07 UTC – For our anniversary, Brandy painted the planets as fruit. It is on the wall in my office now.

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2015-01-03 00:02 UTC – We had to go to the courthouse in Seattle to pick up some documents. It has some pretty floors.

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2015-01-03 00:08 UTC – We got there and back via the Bus/Train tunnel under Seattle. That was fun.

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2015-01-03 04:35 UTC – Alex still prefers to wear his pants on his head instead of on his legs. We can usually get him to confine this fashion choice to home… usually.

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2015-01-06 04:19 UTC – As usual, Roscoe is very patient. He is a good dog.

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2015-01-09 13:34 UTC (picture by Brandy?) – Mike is a good skink too. But he doesn’t get to play with Alex much.

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2015-01-09 21:50 UTC (Picture by Brandy) – We finally got Amy a new used car to replace the one totaled in November. She looks thrilled.

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2015-01-09 21:51 UTC (Picture by Brandy): OK, that’s better.

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2015-01-09 22:28 UTC – It is a Pontiac Aztek.

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2015-01-10 23:54 UTC – Grandma Ruth helps Alex with a new Lego set.

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2015-01-10 23:55 UTC – Sara really wants to help!

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2015-01-11 19:59 UTC – Not sure exactly what we were watching here, but Alex was obviously impressed by it.

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2015-01-12 05:04 UTC – Alex’s obsession with Minecraft increased in January. Mostly with Pocket Edition in Creative mode, although not always. More often than not though, this is not a solo endeavor, but includes several family members playing together. Here Alex and Amy work together while I watch.

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2015-01-12 05:29 UTC – Roscoe sometimes plays with the iPad too. For sufficiently broad definitions of “plays”.

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2015-01-12 05:53 UTC – Here are Alex and Amy playing Minecraft together from the other side of the screen.

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2015-01-12 05:54 UTC – Roscoe wants to participate, but it is just so sleepy in here.

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2015-01-13 08:33 UTC (Time when I got the picture, not when it was taken, Picture taken by Domography Photography) – Amy got a pro picture of herself for some reason. Came out great!

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2015-01-15 14:27 UTC – Amy wanted to go to the annual company party with me and Brandy, but each person is only allowed one guest, so I had to ask if someone else at work would have Amy as a guest. So she made a sad face. We found a volunteer. So Amy would be able to go.

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2015-01-17 02:52 UTC – But before party time, Alex was Minecrafting as usual. Here he built “a statue of Daddy”. He had my Minecraft avatar stand in front of him as a reference while he built the statue.

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2015-01-18 04:34 UTC – At the party, Amy engages in one of the art activities.

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2015-01-18 05:37 UTC – Brandy and Amy wanted to go to the party for the music. The opening band was “Walk the Moon“. Amy ended up with their set list hand written on a plate they threw into the crowd.

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2015-01-18 06:15 UTC – The main band was “Weezer“. This is Rivers Cuomo. He looks like a normal dude.

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2015-01-18 06:15 UTC – This is Brian Bell. He looks scary. But Amy ended up with one of his guitar picks that was thrown to the crowd anyway. Yup, two souvenirs from the show.

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2015-01-20 05:12 UTC – Meanwhile Alex continues to build more and more elaborate things in Minecraft. This was a roller coaster he built, including a station where you get in and out, a ticket stand, etc.

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2015-01-22 09:33 UTC (Picture by Amy on my phone) – One night Amy found me, Alex and Roscoe like this on the couch.

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2015-01-26 06:58 UTC – Sometimes though, you don’t even make it to the couch.

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2015-01-27 21:00 UTC – Oh yeah, Brandy also got completely obsessed with Minecraft and spent many hours building things. This was one of her houses.

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2015-01-30 05:06 UTC – Roscoe looks on as Alex continues Minecrafting at the end of the month. This time on the full computer version. Still creative mode, not survival mode very often yet. But February awaits.

Pics from Dec 2014

979 pictures for the month. First cut got it down to 61. Second cut down to the required 31 for December. Here we go…

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2014-12-01 02:47 UTC – Alex shows that he knows how to use chopsticks.

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2014-12-05 23:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy installed a brand new sink!

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2014-12-07 20:32 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Roscoe is pretty sure he is much smaller than he really is. He is the right size for a lap dog, right?

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2014-12-07 20:38 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Of course, there was one person who noticed they were not in the picture, and they felt they needed to be. So we made room.

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2014-12-08 00:30 UTC (posted earlier) – Alex celebrates the picking of the Christmas tree.

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2014-12-08 16:51 – Alex watching Roscoe as Roscoe contemplates if he should get out while the getting is good.

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2014-12-09 06:39 UTC – This IS what stockings are for, aren’t they?

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2014-12-09 20:39 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara posed by some of my mom’s Christmas decorations

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2014-12-10 01:17 UTC – Alex kicking back in my home office.

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2014-12-11 04:02 UTC – And in the lobby during one of Amy’s performances for school.

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2014-12-12 06:09 UTC – A Lego creation by Alex.

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2014-12-17 04:19 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy took Alex to the bookstore. He got mad at her about something. He decided to sit at his own table. Then he fell asleep with his head down on the table.

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2014-12-20 01:20 UTC – Alex in my office playing Minecraft… which in December was rapidly on the way to displacing Portal 2 and Trainz Driver for the “favorite computer game” crown.

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2014-12-21 01:59 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara and Alex playing at Grandma Ruth’s house.

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2014-12-21 03:27 UTC – Alex gets into giggle fits when Sara licks him.

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2014-12-24 05:49 UTC – Excitement builds! Christmas approaches!

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2014-12-24 13:05 UTC – Regardless of the excitement, I’m not sure I would choose to sleep with my head by this part of the dog. But it was just fine for Alex!

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2014-12-24 20:12 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara got a new bed as an early Christmas present. She liked it!

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2014-12-25 05:56 UTC – For the first time this year we put lights on the outside of the house!

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2014-12-25 05:56 UTC – The lights were color shifting, so there were different colors and patterns every few seconds.

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2014-12-25 08:11 UTC – As he prepares for bed on Christmas eve, Alex surveys the presents. In our family, everybody opens one present on Christmas eve. Here Alex has picked the one for me to open… one of his gifts for me of course. (It was candy.)

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2014-12-25 15:55 UTC (posted earlier) – In the morning, not a creature was stirring, not even a dog…

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2014-12-25 16:00 UTC – The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…

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2014-12-25 18:49 UTC – In the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there! (OK, some sort of photographic accident, but it could be St. Nick, right? :-) )

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2014-12-25 18:49 UTC – Soon the presents were flowing. Here is Grandma Ruth in the wonderful vest Alex bought for her! I’m sure she’ll be wearing it all over town!

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2014-12-25 19:18 UTC – Amy and Alex worked together opening some presents.

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2014-12-25 19:20 UTC (picture by my mom) – I relax and observe the activities while Alex attacks Amy in the background.

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2014-12-26 00:10 UTC – Christmas over, Alex was very insistent that we take a picture of this mutant potato chip.

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2014-12-28 01:37 UTC – Then Brandy broke her phone.

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2014-12-30 04:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – We go out for the evening and Amy and Alex enjoy some pizza. Yes, Alex is wearing pants on his head. As he does.

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2014-12-31 06:34 UTC – As New Year’s approached, time for one last snuggle on the couch to watch TV

Pics from Sep 2014

1076 pictures for the month. First pass narrowed to 70. These are the 30 that best represent September.

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2014-09-01 06:39 UTC (Picture by Amy) – An Amy Selfie to start the month. (Yeah, yeah, I already used this one on her birthday post.)

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2014-09-01 21:44 UTC – Alex chases after Amy at Bumbershoot

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2014-09-02 02:19 UTC – Alex and me joining the family after a quick romp through the fountain at Bumbershoot

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2014-09-02 04:36 UTC – Amy comforts Alex after he tripped and took a bad spill while running after her to get into the EDM venue at Bumbershoot. After this he was done for the night.

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2014-09-03 16:58 UTC – First day of school for Alex

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2014-09-05 01:19 UTC – We didn’t even know we had an apple tree, but one day we noticed this hanging off a tree in our front yard. We think it is the tree’s very first apple. Awww…

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2014-09-07 19:44 UTC – Brandy accidentally made a sculpture out of frosting.

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2014-09-11 21:53 UTC – Alex plays in a balloon room at a local mall. (Posted before as part of Alex through the Years.)

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2014-09-11 22:13 UTC – Alex and I built a robot! He knocked it over seconds later of course.

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2014-09-12 20:28 UTC – Alex’s class at school prepares for his birthday ceremony, where the birthday kid circles a candle representing the sun once for each year of their lives, while the parents show pictures of them from each year and say something brief about what the kid was like each year. Brandy and I were participating, so no pictures of the actual event.

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2014-09-12 22:21 UTC – Once we were home, it was time for our own birthday celebrations, and Roscoe got to wear the birthday hat from school.

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2014-09-12 22:22 UTC – Grandma Ruth got to wear the hat too.

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2014-09-12 22:48 UTC – Brandy made a train cake for Alex.

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2014-09-12 23:11 UTC – Alex with a present from Grandma Ruth.

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2014-09-12 23:14 UTC – Alex opening a present from Amy.

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2014-09-14 05:27 UTC – One of Alex’s presents was a lego set from Papa Bill and Grandma Cathy. Alex has been getting more into Lego lately. Here he diligently follows the instructions to assemble this set.

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2014-09-14 05:45 UTC – And here is the final product. Alex assembled it almost entirely himself, following the instructions in the booklet. He only asked for help on one or two of the many steps in the process. In the following days, he did several other lego sets too.

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2014-09-16 23:48 UTC – A few days later, it was time for my birthday. Alex wanted Brandy to make me a train cake too, but Brandy was sick at the time, so instead Amy and Alex went to the store. Alex picked this hamburger and fries cake for me instead.

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2014-09-17 00:19 UTC – Amy presents me with my biggest present, from her and Brandy. Can you guess what it is? (It was a much needed new chair for my home office.)

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2014-09-20 22:31 UTC – Grandma Ruth took Alex, Roscoe and me on an adventure in a nearby park. This was the start of our hike.

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2014-09-20 23:22 UTC – The destination of the hike was a little area on the shore of Lake Washington. Roscoe and Alex spent a few minutes playing in the water!

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2014-09-20 23:34 UTC – After the hike and playing a bit, Roscoe was ready for a bit of a rest. We had a picnic. Roscoe patiently waited to share.

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2014-09-21 00:02 UTC – Alex and I climb up on a large tree that had fallen over and leaned over the lake

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2014-09-21 00:04 UTC – Alex does not seem impressed as he dismounts from the fallen tree.

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2014-09-21 00:07 UTC – After the tree, there is some time for some more splashing at the edge of the lake.

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2014-09-21 00:18 UTC – Then it was time for the hike back to the car. Everybody was a little tired by this point. But we had to keep going.

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2014-09-21 01:50 to 01:56 UTC – Once back in the car, a certain someone couldn’t quite manage to stay awake.

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2014-09-23 01:11 UTC – Uh, he is not supposed to climb up there.

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2014-09-26 00:31 UTC – My mom and Sara. A good team.

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2014-09-27 22:24 UTC – Alex told Brandy that he wanted some fresh paper and markers and such. Brandy got him this new art desk thing. Since then Alex has been “art-ing” every chance he gets, producing many many pages of drawings and paintings and other things. He uses that desk almost every day now!

And that wraps up September…

Pics from Mar 2014

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2014-03-02 15:45 – Alex still loves his trains.

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2014-03-02 20:48 – Now he draws them too.

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2013-03-06 02:11 – Alex and Grandma Ruth’s dog Sara are friends now.

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2013-03-08 04:17 – Hanging out ON Daddy

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2014-03-11 15:22 – Roscoe was nervous because he had to go to the vet for some surgery.

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2014-03-12 00:44 – But while Roscoe was at the vet, Alex’s finger got hurt and we had to go to the ER. I posted the whole story.

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2014-03-12 01:16 (Picture by Amy) – Since we were at the ER, Amy picked Roscoe up from the vet.

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2014-03-12 02:09 – Some sedatives and a couple stitches later, Alex was on the way to healing.

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2014-03-12 05:10 – Roscoe was recovering well from his surgery too, although he was not thrilled with the cone.

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2014-03-15 23:14 – Just a few days later it was time for an expedition with Grandma Ruth to find snow in the mountains

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2014-03-15 23:24 – We ended up at Stevens Pass ski area, but our agenda was not skiing.

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2014-03-15 23:24 – Alex led the way, looking for just the right spot.

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2014-03-15 23:39 – Trudging through the snow, but this isn’t it.

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2014-03-15 23:39 – Right near here though. We can set up near here for the main event.

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2014-03-15 23:41 – Snow Thomas, Annie and Clarabel all set up to chug through the snow.

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2014-03-15 23:41 – Alex observes to make sure Grandma Ruth gets her turn… and that she plays the CORRECT way.

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2014-03-15 23:50 – With the day’s goal accomplished, it is time to go. What is everybody else waiting for?

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2014-03-16 00:02 – Grandma triumphant!

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2014-03-16 01:08 – Down the other side of the mountain now, let me in to the McDonalds! I want my Happy Meal!

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2014-03-16 01:17 – OK, got my Happy Meal, lets go home!

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2014-03-16 01:38 – A quick look at the mountains before heading back over them to home.

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2014-03-16 20:47 – Back at home, Roscoe has claimed the duck for a nap.

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2014-03-19 13:32 – Alex likes to cuddle with Mommy

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2014-03-23 07:55 – Roscoe and Alex sometimes sleep on the couch too.

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2014-03-24 16:06 – Sometimes he seems angelic, but he really isn’t.

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2014-03-24 21:30 – A trip back to a favorite playground we hadn’t been to since the fall

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2014-03-24 21:45 – Climbing very high

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2014-03-27 07:57 (Picture taken by Amy) – Sometimes it is Daddy and Alex that fall asleep on the couch.

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2014-03-27 07:58 (Picture by Amy) – That is when Amy likes to take selfies (with Dad’s phone) to capture the moment.

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2014-03-28 00:32 – Playing quietly at home… by dumping toys all over the floor.

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2014-03-30 04:50 – Koala sleeping on Alex, sleeping on Amy

Sunday at Grandma’s House

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Mom and Sara have arrived!

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