Merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Aeneas meets Santa...

... at Chinese School!

Aeneas performed at Chinese School

Thank you, Isabela!

Marcel likes his squishy German toy.

Since it's black friday, we went to the mall

Thanksgiving 2011

Uncle Carl, Aunt Priscilla and Grandpa Bill came to visit for the holiday weekend!

We had a delicious Thanksgiving meal which we shared with real, live Native Americans - thank you for coming Kelsey and Kristie!  Everyone contributed to the feast. 

Aeneas, Marcel and Cayenne got extra attention and trips to the playground courtesy of Uncle Carl and Aunt Priscilla.

Marcel has a trick

Aeneas plays doctor

Emily: [Lying on bedroom floor propped up by Kung-Fu Panda pillow] Tell me Doc, am I ok?

Aeneas: [Examining Emily through 3D ViewMaster] You have asthma.

Emily: Oh no, am I going to die?

Aeneas: No, it is not a fatal disease.  It is an uncommon and painful disease, but you will live.

Emily: How will you fix me?

Aeneas: I will put oxide and chromide in this armour hat and you must wear it to clean your blood.

Emily: Ok, anything else?

Aeneas: Yes, I will put sugar in your umbilicus [with emphasis on second i] to make sure the medicine works.

Emily: Thanks Doc, you're the best.

Aeneas: I know.

Costume Day at Chinese School

Marcel likes Libertarians.

Big brother weighs in

"Its a dance that's more like karate or kung-fu."

Marcel is the new skinny jeans

Since Marcel would prefer to be held at all times, it is best to wear him as if he were the latest fashion.*

* To avoid also wearing massive amounts of slightly digested milk, we recommend pointing him forward.

Aren't babies cute when they aren't screaming?

1/2 inch PVC pipe

Marcel makes friends easily

Alex & Aerang

Ali & Joe

Lorie & Jackie

Julia

Marcel doesn't smile, yet. We interpret this expression as "contentment."

The second baby has been much easier. For starters, Cayenne doesn't want to eat him.

Aeneas and Marcel!!!

Marcel Apollo Wood

was born on August 26, 2011 at 1:26am in Silver Spring, Maryland. He snuck out between an earthquake* and a hurricane.

*If you can call 5.8 an earthquake.

Our last days at the Beach House

Aeneas and Emily were fortunate enough to get to spend a few sunny days on the Puget Sound this summer.  Its hard to beat Pacific Northwest forests and making sand dragons.

Especially when you get special visitors.

Happy 4th of July!

Aeneas bakes a "Purple Velvet Cake".

Over the last several months, our family has been very fortunate to have Isabela in our lives. Last weekend, she headed home to Rio de Janeiro. But, first she had a party to celebrate. Aeneas made a pinata of a solar eclipse as a gift for Isabela - so she went home swinging.

Aeneas is entering a new and exciting phase of his life. Sometime around September 9, 2011 he will be a big brother!

Aeneas came with us to the ultra-sound. He waltzed right into the room and announced to the sonography technician, "I want to see if the baby has a doodle or a vagina so we will know if its a boy or a girl." The tech was amused - all markings on the images are hers.

We play a version of "20 questions", but we call it "the food game" (because you can only think of foods).

Me: Ok got one

Aeneas: Is it a fruit?

M: Yes

A: Does it go good with scrambled eggs?

M: No

A: Is it grapes?

M: Yes!

Aeneas avec Hairnet & Helmet, at the go-Kart Race Track in Montreal, QC

Aeneas' first written sentence: The Dragon Poops.

Aeneas explains, Happiness is a $14 bagel.

One of the advantages of having a super-smart mother is that there are ample opportunities to travel around to medical conferences, often at least partially subsidized by work.

This week we're in New Mexico, which is probably the Wood Family's favorite home-away-from-home state. One day we drive 30 minutes and go for a lovely hike in the warm and sunny "la vista verde", the next day, 30 minutes in the other direction for alpine skiing! (which unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of)

Taos 2011