The Best A.M. Greeting

This morning Tori decided to sleep in past 9 am, and when I went into her room to get her she had a huge smile and said, "Hi, Mama." She had never put those two words together before. In fact, putting words together is a new thing for her. I don't know what it is, but today she just seems so grown up. Maybe it is because tomorrow she will be 18 months old. It happens too fast. I just want to capture all these fun milestones and phases that she is going through and hold onto them forever. Here she is sitting like a big girl on her little bench.

Happy Easter

We had a very nice, relaxing Easter and hope you all had a great one as well. Here are a few pictures from Sunday. Some video to follow as soon as I can edit it:

Charles was very proud of the multi-colored egg that he designed.

I love this quick series of three pictures that kind of captures the little tempest that Tori is becoming. She's not a brat, mind you, but just always full of energy and wanting to run somewhere. I asked the boys to try to hold onto her for a picture while I clicked the camera as fast as I could. It only lasted a few seconds...

This one almost looks like all three are posing for a normal picture.
Then you have Tori immediately starting to pull her arms in to get free.
Then trying to run forward in a full-fledged revolt, complaining loudly. Note the boys' determined looks as they try to keep hold of her.


And another one of the boys--I love how they spontaneously hold hands every time I ask them to pose for a picture. I imagine this won't always be the case.

Vegas Baby...

A quick post from the road. We have been on our trip for a week now and are having a great time. We were at Ben Johnson's wedding last Saturday then spent the next few days with the Wheelers for a family reunion. Yesterday we saw some dinosaur tracks and made our way back to Vegas where we will spend a few days. Many more updates and pictures once we get back to SA-town, but we thought we'd post a few pictures and share another of Joey's trademark anecdotes:

Me: (after Joey ran away from us for the 10th time in a casino to "play games") Joseph! Stop running away from me!

Joey: But I want to play games!

Me: Those aren't kids games.

Joey: But I can still play them.

Me: No, you have to be older or you'll get in trouble. Plus, you can't keep running away from us. There are lots of people and lots of things in Las Vegas and you'll get lost if you keep running away from us.

Joey: (looks at me, thinking).

Me: Okay? Can you stay next to me please and stop running away?

Joey: (thinking)

Joey: (thinking)

Joey: (thinking)

Joey: (light bulb goes on) Yeah, okay Daddy, that's why they call it Lost Vegas.

Here are some pics:

Tori at the Dinosaur Tracks doing her latest little thing with her mouth.
Another shot of Tori at the Dinosaur place--still doing the mouth thing.

The kids in our room at the Palazzo.
They all really liked the view--it reminded Liz and I of the two boys pressing their noses against our windows in our 22nd floor apartment in Philly so many times.


In front of the Trevi Fountain (well, a replica) at Caesar's.
And in front of the waterfalls at the Wynn.

More to come...

Remember the Alamo!

We had a nice surprise yesterday as Uncle Vaughn made a quick detour through the Hill Country on his way to a business meeting in Dallas. We are always happy to spend time with any parts of the Wihongi clan. This morning Joey and I took Vaughn to the Alamo and the Riverwalk.

The three of us in front of the facade.
Joey standing outside of the exit. There is still no basement in the Alamo.
Joey sitting on a pretty cool Texas bench.
Feeling the thorns of the Bougainvillea.
Random picture of Joey clowning around.

And as an added bonus, here are a few quick pictures of Tori.

Grandma Kewish brought her some pajamas all the way from Beijing that she modeled the other night.
Right after I took this she did a handstand and balanced a plate on her foot, but I didn't catch it with the camera...

And a shot from last Sunday when we went to throw rocks in the Guadalupe River.