..."Seriously, SO b l e s s e d!"

b a b y  n i e t o*  K n u d s e n  i s  b o r n

 

*nieto is just a more fun word for grandson ;)

TODAY

...we pause our holiday remembering for this commercial break...


(3 minutes of spontaneous song)


i think i just fixed the setting so this will work now... let me know!

Our kind of fun...

Exploring well-thunk / well-made TOYS is high up on our list of favorite things... We explore, discover, play, connect, pretend, compare, delight, set up, take apart, research, and ENJOY!  

We are continually curious and fascinated, and eager to show each other our discoveries and/or creations. 

Actually, now that i think about it, I've had this passion (obsession?) for quality play things for as long as I can remember, - and I'm sure the King has too. - We've had this in common since long before we had children; since before our paths ever crossed in Quito!  Mama Jose had it too.  I remember Aunt Mary telling me how fascinated i was as a toddler with our Band-Aid tin full of buttons of all types and sizes.  She said that i especially loved to handle them one at a time and put each one back in the tin.  Can you blame me? - Button collections are very cool, and so were those tins.

I LOVE that our kids love this same kind of exploring and playing.  I can picture them passing on the passion to their children too.

Here are just a few of the photos we took at Blickenstaff's on Josie's birthday.  This cool place opened last May.  K & I happened across it a week or 2 later and bought that red E-Z Roller for Ashton's birthday, and an Automoblox to continue our small collection.

He's checking out the 4 X 4 Rubik's that he'd love to send emcj

 He loves our "Dangerous Book for Boys"  Here he's checking out the one for experiments etc.

If you click on the link to 'Blick''s you'll see the huge piles of retro candy bars, etc.  The girls called the place Mr Magorium's Wonderful Emporium...

 We finally bought "Bananagrams" that evening - see them hanging there?  And Mr Rifleman here found me a tiny glass animal turtle for my collection in the shadow box coffee table  : )  'i like turtles'

Way cool car - made of Bamboo

We first saw Automoblox in a cool store in Monterrey or Carmel while there for our 25th.

FF

 Even though the box doesn't say 'Frogger' -- It still reminds me of the old Frogger game.

  It was a gorgeous night - oops on the focus - oh well.

I remember riding my bike to Norney's in Stanford Shopping Center.  I also remember buying a lime green Matchbox car right after it came out.  I remember the tall glass display where one of each kind sat on top of a stack of individual boxes still sealed up from England.

I wonder if O, S, or C remember The Imaginarium in that same shopping center.

But they'll never forget Mimsy & Sharon's Little Dickens - their store became our home away from home, and just a stone's throw from our house.

Can't wait to show Baby K his little surprise from Blickenstaff's...

Remem~Decem

Speaking of "half a lifetime" ago, these 2 December Dudes first met 12 Decembers ago ('98), only a few days after they turned 11.  (Born 2 days apart).  Hey, wow - they've officially been buddies for more of their lives than they haven't!  ...And remember when they began their boy bonding by teasing and calling each other names like "4 Eyes" and "Yee-oh"?  But how fortunate they've been to have a fine FRIEND, only a few houses away! - How cool is that? They've shared it all: StarCraft, Scouting, Farrer, Fast Offerings, PHS Bands, Graduation, BYU, Missions, to name a few - and now they both have girlfriends named HANNAH!  

I think I see HALO's on seasoned RM's celebrating 23rds while still 'chillin' with the XBOX!

ALSO: I spy the amaryllis!!

(I haven't been able to access the close-up shots for the past 2 nights, so just a sneak peek for now).  But here's more "I SPY" fun from above: 1) Deb's (20 yr old?) embroidery gift. 2) Carmen's personalized Playmobil fam lined up on display. (Remind me to post close-ups of each of us, including Skitza)

Knudsen-Baker STAR for the KING!... as soon as i saw this one, i thought of him - I remembered a nice date night moment (for me, at least) almost a year ago in Pier 1, when he patiently helped me find something to brighten my new corner office spot... as a bonus we got these 3 cool ceramic balls for home. So for the record, 'Grumpy Koki' is really 'Kind KING' inKognito - and now this star hangs in our front window to continually remind me of that! 

Remember December ~ Daily Dose?

...So I said to myself, "Self, how's about a little New Year's Resolution 'like such as' this one?":

Beginning today, 1/11/11, (I just had to type that date again for the last time before midnight, we need to savor any little thrill we come across these days) - I will post at least one 'Remember December 2010' photo per day for the rest of the month of January 2011! ...I think i can i think i can!

HAPPY 27th ANNIVERSARY KOKING !   

"El Amor de mi vida ha sido tu, el amor de mi vida sigue siendo tu..." 

Although the KING & I were over the top Love-y-Dovey during our l - o - n - g courtship, let's fast forward a half a lifetime - These days our moments are monopolized by managing of the many- minute by minute, especially in December- especially the week before the week leading to Christmas. (Or 'School Concert' week, as it could affectionately be called in my household).  But hey, at least this year the schools didn't double book us on Thursday the 16th, so we didn't have to do the usual 'divide and conquer' thing and we actually got to be together, just the 2 of us.  During our date, we smoothly stopped by the uncharacteristically uncrowded PHS auditorium and briefly paused our good conversation in time to enjoy amazing music by Carmen's top group, then slipped away again and continued.  (We didn't even have to go through the familiar inpatient wait afterward while our young musicians go to packed music rooms to pack instruments before making their way to the car). 

But wait, even before all that, here's the really good part:

Out of the blue, the KING totally surprised me this year!  He came to the delivery door at my office, and brought me the most beautiful Amaryllis EVER!  Seriously, the bulb was done up in a nice basket, and just kept blooming and blooming for over 3 weeks!! - (insert photo HERE). Then he took me out to lunch! (to a place that he knows I like and he usually avoids). 

After the concert we went to check out the movies - could NOT believe how many good possibilities to choose from :)  We chose one we hadn't even heard of prior to that moment - and had fun with it. PLUS we practically had the place to ourselves!

So #27 in 2010 will not soon be forgotten! 

(Even though i did forgot to give him the cool anniversary present I had for him til Christmas Eve! - insert photo HERE - and thanks to Eli's Ashley, for both her patience & artistic abilities) 

Ready?...  Ahh, look!

 
December 16, 1983  
(White lace and promises, a kiss for luck and we were on our way!)

some December highlights... to keep me warm through this freezing 1/11/11

Birthday Eve for SMJ - Happy 23rd

Birthday morn for JACJ - Happy 19th on the 23rd