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Friday, July 30, 2010

Oh! Happy Daze


The little one turned four, and a grand time was had. Since we are delaying the "big party", we had a small gathering at the cottage. Sissy Amy was there, as well as honorary Big Girl Diva Sarah, Daddy and of course Papa. Bella received wonderful cards and gifts. Even her BFF Sophia sent super presents from N.J.!

There was a lot of Juicy Couture flying around this day!

Here are just a few pics of the event...as you can tell, Daddy & papa seemed to have a bit more fun than most HA!


Enjoy!








































































Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Happy 4th Birthday Bella!






On Your Special Day (which is truly OUR special day)...








Four years ago today, you entered our world...you became Our World!




Now, there are four times the fun, in everything.




Four times the laundry, but four times the Hugz!




Four times the booboo's, = four times more colored band-aids to choose from.




Four times more chat = four times less boredom and monotony!




Four times more clothes = four times more compliments (and shoes)! AND Four Times more Toys means four times more BellaDaddy playtime!




Four times the frustration and confusion, but four times the forgiveness!




Four times more opinions = four times the realization that Daddy is always right (almost)!




Four times more pouts, countered by four times the smiles when bribed with Chocolate!






No doubt, you posses four times the attitude, now that you have become a young lady, but with that, we get four times more understanding and yearning to learn!




Four years ago, you bounded out into our world...
you became, OUR WORLD!








Happy Birthday


to the


Love of our Lives!
















Friday, July 16, 2010

An Open Birthday Letter


Sent this out (via Email) today:



"Good Day Everyone,


We certainly hope this finds you well.

As many of you know, this is the time of year where we are usually busy planning the little ones birthday party. She will be turning 4 this year....yeah right, 4??? WOW.

Anyhoo, you may notice that you haven't received an invitation. I am here to assure you, it is not lost in the mail...nor have you been disinvited...etc....
We are delaying it this year. The party, not her birthday...after all...when you are born, you are born

With everything going on...(restoring a new home, etc...read about it here:
http://belladaddy.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-brake-for-pidgeons.html), we just ran out of time, and to be honest, we have so little room currently, for all your wonderful smiles and well wishes.

Therefore, please, be patient, and keep an eye out in your mailbox...Most likely towards the middle/end of August. And, Bella would SO LOVE to hear from you on her actual birthday...July 28th, so please don’t hesitate to give her a call...but be warned...she does LOVE to talk on the phone HA!

All our Very Best Wishes,

David, Vince & Bella"




Get your birthday balloons on over to DAD-BLOGS.COM.






Friday, July 9, 2010

"Bad, Daddy...Bad!




Standing in line, waiting on my coffee to be finished, Starbucks was bustling with customers. Some in line, most at tables...ensconced in subtle conversations. You could close your eyes and envision the espresso seeping through the veins of everyone drinking. Waking those needing to be awoken....racing through the arteries of the coffee junkies.


It was, typically, like any other time we venture to our local Starbucks. The staff there love to see Bella. She loves seeing them. They know my drink, and Bella's cup is always adorned with "BELLA" and a heart, stars and butterflies..here and there... She actually demands her name be on the cup...at the very least.


So...waiting in line...Bella at my side...one person in front of us...one person away from my morning fix...I feel the fingers on my right hand squeezed...ever so slight. UH OH, Bella must see something she wants...usually a cookie, or donut...or...who knows...



Um, Er, Ahem, Uh...NOT THIS TIME!


"Daddy, Look - HE HAFFA BIG BUTT"


Instant Mortification! (Yikes, Yikes and more...YIKES!!)


There, in front of me in line, was a fairly large man...ok, he was pretty large....ok, ok, perhaps his shorter stature made him look larger....but no doubt...there was a rather large pair of gluteus maximus...staring back at me. I honestly had not even noticed this person in line...in front of me...practically in my face.


But, Bella did...and let EVERYONE know it...


Damn! Do I laugh? (which is the usual for me)....or do I admonish her...in front of everyone...and HIM? (perhaps he hadn't heard this little voice, bellowing his backside measurements)!


Um, the kids behind the counter, making coffee...heating the milk...you know...LOUD! Well, they heard it...and turned away...quickly...so as not to bust out laughing...in front of HIM!


GAWD! I was shaken to my core...WTF am I supposed to do?


I lean down, practically on my knees...and say:


"Bella, Honey...He probably knows he has a big butt, but it is not up to you, to tell anyone. Ever, Ever, Ever. Now, please say your sorry"


"Sorry Daddy"



Walking out...she looks up...with watery eyes (after Daddy read her)..."He did haffa big butt Daddy"...'Yes Bella...he did...it was HUGE-MONGOUS!'


He never let on, if he had heard...he walked out...head held high...jiggly parts a'jigglin'


Bad Daddy, Bad Daddy!


Get your gluteus maximus on over to DAD-BLOGS for more hilarious, helpful and hair-raising fun!






Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Just Another WORDLESS WEDNEDAY!

Dad Blogs Wordless Wednesday
Sung to the tune of "Manic Monday"
Wander on over to DAD-BLOGS for super amazing pic and stories,
from Dads (and Moms) just like me!
Monday, July 5, 2010

I Brake For Pigeons!




Daddy, why did you honk the horn?

Honey, I had to honk to get the pigeons to move.

Eww, I don't like pigeons - they are Rats with Wings!

You learn fast, little one!




One of many hilarious "chats" Bella and I have while driving.



And urban Living, at it's finest!

I had mentioned recently, that I would fill everyone in as to why I took that "break" from blogging. Well, here it is...in all its condensed glory.

Several months back, (OK., really like a year ago)...we decided it was time to move. We hadn't determined where, when or how...but we knew it was time. Our old neighborhood was beautiful...if you like desert scape (yuck) and cloistered neighbors (sigh).

Cloistered because we had a running joke. Once the neighbors drive into the garage, close the door, you don't see them anymore...weekends included. Most of them. It was odd really. Many families with kids...one of the reasons we built there...but we rarely saw them...or socialized.

At first, it was amazing...we met loads of neighbors and had oodles of friends...but sadly, it wasn't meant to be. Perhaps the novelty wore off...being two dads and a kid, we certainly stuck out...(our home was gorgeous and absolutely had an aesthetic life of it's own)...or maybe, it ended up being that we just did not have allot in common...or!...with Daddy's big mouth, people may have wanted to just stay away from the freak who rambles... - (a lack of adult interaction will do that to you). Long story short, after 4 years there, we needed more. Wanted more. Bella was getting to that age where she was questioning everything...(EVERYTHING - will blog more about our little miss Chatterley later on...). Of course, one question was a bit heartbreaking: "Daddy, when can we go play with (insert this name and/or that name here)?" It was difficult, at best, explaining why the kids were in school, and why she wasn't. Attempting to make her aware, that not all kids will want to play with her at all times...etc...Sigh!
WAIT: YIKES! I almost forgot to mention. We DID make some lifelong friends in our old neighborhood...those that will be with us no matter where we venture...and they know they can expect the same of us!

Whew! Where was I? Oh yea...long story short...

We wanted more. For our little one. For our Family.

More culture. More diversity. Less traffic (more like less road rage)...
So, we moved. Packed it all up...(and three storage units later)...and squirreled off to a lovely little cottage. Downtown. Historic District. All the museums, parks and 35 mph speed limits we could want for.









And. Pigeons.

Our old home had a plethora of wildlife...but it was geared more towards desert dwelling. Cactus. Rocks. Desert Brush. Needle-pin-pointed plants...all needed less water than the norm. We had Desert Quail. Gecko's. Hummingbirds. Wasps. Killer Bees. (yeah, you read that correctly - although they are everywhere around these parts). The coolest beetles ever seen, woodpeckers that pecked our fireplace cap (metal - it was loud- dumb ass birds). and Hawks...soaring beautifully overhead...waiting to dive down and latch their razor-like claws into our dogs...!!

We moved. Into a rental. 1280 sq. ft...(in comparison, our old home was 34oo)...it was to be a challenge. We decided to rent (neither of us had rented in so many years) in a neighborhood, or close to one, that we were interested in buying in. We decided on one of the many historic districts - downtown. Found a very cool little abode...and realized, our frikkin furniture was way too large to fit...Big house = Big Furniture...Little Cottage = logistics nightmare! Papa, being the Architect he is, came up with a floorplan...measured all the stuff we have...and made most of it fit...tightly! We have stuff in two garages. Two storage units and of course, packed to the gills in the cottage. The neighborhood is quiet, and oh so close to all we need or desire.

But...and yes, there is yet another chapter to this story. Once we moved into the cottage...(remember - renting)...we found a home to buy. Literally, one day after we moved into the rental. We had figured we would be here at least a year, until we could find that one perfect place. You know, the one where Bella would grow up in...we would never leave...at least not until retirement.

Anyhoo, here we are...stuff stored everywhere...in a rental...and we bought a home. Not just any home, but one that needs to be completely gutted...and restored. (Believe me, we got a great deal...and no longer have a mortgage).





A home built in 1938. My Partner, being the Architect, brought up the idea of restoring it, rather than renovating. So, the best part?...(other than it will be amazing when we get to live in it)...the shopping...deco fixtures. deco accoutrement...deco everything....will post pics here soon...but...we had to COMPLETELY GUT! Sewage, electrical, ceilings...pretty much everything is being re-done... The neighbors love it...the "eyesore" is being re-done - FINALLY!


Bella will once again have her drama room...and a bedroom that is HUGE, and will act as a playroom as well...we will have three bathrooms, as opposed to one now...(not fun)...and LOADS of grass and open...(after having a 1/4 acre of concrete removed out back...(another story)...

It will be heaven. But, as you can imagine, it hasn't been easy...and I was finding myself more and more stressed about blogging...totally overwhelmed with life in general...so much going on... And, because there was nothing to say...except how exhausted I was becoming...and I had already beat that horse to death. I was tired, but for Bella...well, of course, this was one huge adventure...and THAT was what kept me going...regardless of how pooped I was...or cranky...or...well, you get the idea. I just didn't want to talk about it anymore that I had to...and certainly not on the blog.

We discovered our new neighbors - (in what Bella calls our "New New Home" - the rental is the New Home") are amazing! Artists. Professionals. Cultured...and Diverse, Elderly, and quite the eclectic grouping. Perfect! We even had several over last night, for the Fireworks display downtown. Our garage has a second floor...the only two story structure in the neighborhood...and despite the construction dust and debris...we had a BLAST! Beautiful people!

So, here we are...living in two homes, with multiple storage facilities (we cant find half of what we need)...but...life is calming...surprisingly, there is less racing traffic (due to speed limits)...but, we have train noises in the far distance (we love it)...helicopters overhead (old home was in a flight path of planes - had been altered after we move in)...and LOADS of song birds, butterflies, wild lovebirds, cats, hummingbirds, lady bugs...and pigeons. Most of them alive, but, in the downtown area, a few squashed ones...OK, many...here and there.

Therefore, I brake for pigeons...









Friday, July 2, 2010

Happy Independence Day - Weekend!


&
Happy Fatherhood Friday!


Grill on over to DAD-BLOGS!!


Enjoy The Fun:





Keep it Safe this holiday weekend!













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