We enjoyed having family in town this weekend for Billy’s and Katie’s confirmation (there was a BOGO special at church).

I’m just kidding about the BOGO.

Katie did the second reading.  She had practiced it so often that she had it nearly memorized.  Between that and the nervousness of standing in front of 500 or so people meant that she raced through the reading.  Or maybe she just wanted to get on with the sacrament.

Billy’s time with the bishop was twice as long as everyone else’s.  I leaned over and told my husband that this did not surprise me at all.  Billy’s confirmation saint was a Robert (Bellarmine), and the bishop’s name is also Robert.  Billy went through about 5 saints before finalizing his decision.  I told him he could have many many friends in heaven, but he had to pick just one for confirmation.

The bishop had suggested that we just photoshop his photo into our own instead of waiting for him (there were 90+ confirmandi, I think).  Had we been toward the back of the group, we just might have.  But we were in the first few rows and didn’t have to wait long at all.

Grandparents…

I could never get everybody to look at the same camera.

Billy with his Godfather (Uncle Tom) and confirmation sponsor (my Uncle Steve).  My SIL, Margaret, who is Billy’s Godmother, did not get there until later that night.  My in-laws and BIL flew from the snowy Northeast with no trouble.  My SIL’s flight from California via Phoenix was canceled.  Go figure.

Katie with her Godparents, Uncle Glenn and Nana.  Katie’s sponsor was celebrating her own daughter’s confirmation.

As an afterthought, we got a shot with the parents.

As soon as the group came home, Peter threw off his church clothes.  Then we decided to do pictures, so Bill made him get dressed again.  Then we took no family pictures (immediate family), so he really hadn’t needed to do that.  I took a few pictures just to justify his efforts.

Bill took this picture of Mary because she looks like a hockey player.

It was a lovely weekend.  Missed a few of my siblings, but such is life when we are all so far away.

We have extended family coming to visit in a few weeks so I thought I’d post a few pictures of the “baby.”  He’s not so much a baby any more.  Oh, they grow so fast.

Here is George in January of 2013.

And now…

With the big brothers….

He loves to watch shows on the Kindle.  He’ll make a hand gesture for “Signing Time” while I’m skimming FB or playing Candy Crush.  I have a hard time saying no to “educational” programming just so I can read a few more puns or like a few more memes.  The thing is, though, that he knows how to change the shows once he’s in Netflix.  So, while he starts with Signing Time or Daniel Lion or Curious George…he really wants to watch Dr. Who.

Netflix always plays the next episode, so George walked into a room the other day watching a Dr. Who the big kids hadn’t seen yet.  They all started screaming “turn it off! turn it off!”  They tried to convince him to watch something else, but he was persistent.  Finally, they managed to get it on an older episode, and everybody was happy.

He likes to jump on the bed, and is adept and getting down.

He likes to pretend to be a dog.  He likes to roll around with the dog.  He likes to feed the dog.

The dog does not like him to pretend to be a dog.  We all say, “Good dog!” and pat his head, and she gets a little upset that we use those special words and gestures with him.  The dog does not like him to roll around with her, especially not when he climbs in her crate, especially not when she’s in the crate.  Sometimes the lock on the crate gets used just to keep him out.

The dog does like him to feed her.  Then they are the best of pals.

George likes to play the piano.

George loves to wear other people’s shoes, especially daddy’s boots.

George is very adept at maneuvering the kitchen step stool around, and a favorite pastime is opening the drawers and scattering the contents all over the counter top.  Such neat things to be found in the drawers.  I especially love it when he finds the steak knives.

George does not have an extensive spoken English vocabulary, but like most boys, his capacity to make noises, especially of motor vehicles, knows no bounds.  He loves things with wheels.

Right now, I am working on a dress for Katie for confirmation (why we have family coming into town).  My sewing machine has been out quite a bit, which means my rolling suitcase that holds my sewing machine has been empty.  At least it’s been empty of the sewing machine.  It is George’s favorite hiding place.

And that’s George at 18 months.  Words can not convey how much joy this child brings us all.