When Allen ran downstairs to go find Dad-Oh so that they could play that morning, he found Dad-Oh's message on the whiteboard instead... and realized his playmate had left to go back to Florida already. As you can see, Allen took the news pretty hard. We were definitely grateful that Dad-Oh was here for as long as he was... and that he got to see his Grandson Jack on his birthday. But apparently, Dad-Oh had more important things to do back at home, so he left... and fortunately for us, his better-half stayed behind to help out... and by help out, I mean play, snuggle, feed, laugh, and love on her two sweet grandsons!
The backyard was definitely
one of their favorite places to play!
A trip to the mall meant shopping of course,
but also a chance to grab a few extra coins nobody wanted.
When Moe-Joe needed a breather from playing with the 'Energizer Bunny', she had Sweet Baby Jack waiting for her to love on...
Which proved to be the perfect excuse for some rest & relaxation!
Snuggled up in Moe-Joe's lap with a belly full of milk...
Just a few days old, but life is definitely good already!
Of course Moe-Joe wasn't the only Grandma
who got to hold, cuddle, and love on Jack!
Two of Moe-Joe's favorite things to do... hold Jack and watch Allen play games on her iPad. Fortunately for her, she could multi-task and do both at the same time.
And when everyone else was busy showering, dressing, and getting ready to go out for the day, Ming was kind enough to make sure Jack was content. (I'm sure she was thinking, "Great, another one of these tail-pulling crying machines!?!?")
All strapped in and ready to go out to face that harsh Southern California winter weather... all sunny and 75 degrees of it!
Jack's first official outing: an early New Year's Eve dinner out at The Mill... one of our favorite places to eat (outside).
Moe-Joe playing peek-a-boo with Jack...
never too early to try and crack that first smile!
A couple of happy campers...
ready to put in their dinner order.
That night, Moe-Joe & Allen share a few good laughs while munching on some popcorn and playing on the iPad... while the rest of us fought off the Sandman in an attempt to stay up to watch the stupid ball drop!
It was uneventful, dull, and not all of us even made it to the end... but the most important thing was that we were all together: a brand new happy family of four... with two of the greatest grandmothers we could ever ask for... saying goodbye to one amazing year, and happily ringing in a new one.
I don't know about you... but I'm all warm,
happy and snuggly just looking at these three!
New Year's Day morning... and Moe-Joe & Allen skip breakfast and coffee to climb and play on the waterfall instead.
We decided to spend that afternoon at the park... where much to our surprise, we stumbled upon the cutest little baby taking a nap all by himself in the middle of the grassy field!
He was so sleepy and cute,
we almost didn't want to bother him...
That is until his Daddy finally showed up.
After seeing us throw down a bunch of burgers and fries for lunch... and then seeing Wela lay down for a nap, Jack figured that was a great idea and followed suit, with a little help from Moe-Joe.
An incredibly gorgeous day, at the park, with family, and stuffing our faces with In-N-Out... I'd say that's one perfect way to celebrate the New Year!
"Jack... one of us just crapped our pants, and although I'm sure your mother would swear that it smells like it was me... I'm pretty sure that bad boy was all you!"
It definitely took some convincing... but Allen eventually took the time to ignore his game for a few seconds to love on his brother.
And this folks... is what a perfect evening looks like to me & Jei! A silent sleeping baby in Moe-Joe's lap, and a calm, occupied and content 2-year-old beside them.
When you need to finish off a half-eaten carton of ice-cream...
Moe-Joe and Allen have got it covered!
It may not have been ice-cream exactly, but when Jack downs his version of it (bottle of milk) before bedtime, it puts him right to sleep.
If there's any doubt at all that Allen & Moe-Joe play hard when they're together... just look at the battle scars on Allen's face! Moe-Joe felt bad of course, but I don't think Allen would have it any other way!
Tired, frustrated and annoyed that I can't get Jack to calm down and shut up... I hand him off to Moe-Joe who gladly takes over the impossible task with a smile on her face. And that is why I love a Moe-Joe!
Moe-Joe's last few hours with us before we had to drop her off at the airport... and Jack was obviously none too happy about her leaving! Actually, we all were a little sad about Moe-Joe going back home, for her visits always seem so short... and we absolutely adore her being with us and taking care of and playing with our boys. Thank you Moe-Joe for staying as long as you did, for helping out in anyway you knew how, and for all of your love & support! We love you and can't wait to see you soon.
