Happy First Birthday, Alexander!

We are very far behind on putting out the news for the Root Fam. Stay tuned for cute beach pics from Labor Day at Buckroe Beach, VA (near Hampton). I think we even missed posting for Veronica's 4th birthday...lucky she's not old enough to guilt us on that. So... long story short, we have been busy with life, trying to find that elusive "balance" that we keep hearing about.

The first picture is from Daddy's attempt at balance when Jen went away for a weekend, managing a trade show in Chicago. This happened about 10 seconds after he "reset" the boy in the living room. (Daddy rule #1: when the boy makes a run for the cat food in the kitchen, reset the boy by lifting him up and planting him in the living room...furthest from the cat food within the defined safe zone.) He tumbled books from the bookshelf as he does not yet realize that he can climb the shelving, made a mad dash for the cart full of fake food and toys and such and trashed it against the bouncy, and proceeded to try to wear and then eat the collander.

The other pictures are from the birthday. Most of the event was caught on video as it required both Mommy and Daddy to manage the dinner ritual, especially as it was extended for the cake. Yes, he ate the traditional carrot cake (the carrot and cream cheese gave us some assurance that it may be at least partly good for him...). He did good - his eyes didn't dialate like his sister's do (and did when she ate the same cake), and he didn't go nuts like his sister does (and did when she ate the same cake...we think she's getting better though...she does more of the vibrating in place instead of practicing the "fly off the handle on a sugar high" routine...there's hope).