We got a Flip Video Recorder

Here is an attempt to "share" our Christmas Morning fun. Christmas Eve is for opening presents and visiting with Rober't side of the family. The kids open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa Barnes and us on Christmas Mroning- long after they see what Santa brought. This morning this video is from opening mom and dad's presents, since they coudn't be here. The first video I made can be found on you tube, just search Robert Mullens Eats Pudding. I tell you it's a classic.

I am having a heck of a time u ploading it to blogger- so click on the link below and you'll be redirected to you tube - I like being on you tube- so far we've had 6 hits- LOL

Mullens Family Christmas Morning

We've had a wonderful time with Robert home and we look forward to another wonderful year. Next week the kids and I are going to my mom's for a couple of days. It will be a great way to end the holiday season. Mom and Dad rival Santa Clause when it comes to home decor and lights. The kids will love it.

Dad takes a few days off

When Robert transferred to this division of Siemens, one of the "bonuses" was that they close the shop a couple of days before Christmas until after the New Year. YEAH SIEMENS- however this year is different and the shop stays open- BOO- so when that became apparent, Robert started to take a few Friday's off since he no longer needed to save any vacation days for the end of the year. The first was in November.

On that day we decided to take our precious littlest Mullens to the Houston Zoo.

I should have posted the pictures and narration 6 weeks ago, but I was on facebook, so I'm making two posts in one- because today he took our future zookeeper/exotic animal vet Alice to the zoo as well.
I suppose anyone could have gone, but only Alice was awake and she's been hounding him for more "Daddy-Daughter time" and when she says daughter, she's not including the last born.

Here are some cute pictures of the girls with their favorite guy.

Ok, here Joely is all "I can do it myself"So the minute Robert puts his hand down, she freaks and decides it safer to sit on the "sleigh" Robert looks a little uncomfortable.

Both look much happier in the sleigh

Just to clarify, they aren't really standing in the ocean, it's a statue in front of a kick butt mural.

This is one of the favorite spots, watching the California Sea Lions.

"Uh Dad, I can't See"- Even when Cleary she could, she convinced Robert to pick her up.

She had so much fun she had to take a nap.

Since I was here at this event, I had planned where lunch would be, long before the Zoo day was set in stone. Pictured here at Lupe Tortillas on Kirby and 59. It is by far the best place to eat fajitas. While technically I love Chuy's better, I do not like fajitas at Chuys. Lupe Tortillas makes these awesome flour tortillas that are literally bigger than your plate. You have to "share" the condiments (cheese, guacamole, lettuce,sour cream, beans and rice) with your "partner" and this is where Robert is and always will be number one, he only wants the rice. We leave Lupe Tortillas with condiments in the cool dish. Another time I went there and shared with my good friend Galadriel and it was not nearly enough to "share."

But I digress.

Here is his day with Miss Thang. She took a lot of videos and she LOVED the day with her dad. Robert said the best part was the drive there and back while she sang and danced to the Christmas Music on 99.1- she's a performer at heart.

This is in the Cool Children's Part of the Zoo. Apparently Alice raised her hand to answer questions and was so cute, she was asked to assist the zookeeper. She was able to pet a "jungle" bird that looked like a chicken and felt a turtle exoskeleton in a box (aka the shell- it can only be taken off after the death of the turtle as it it's skeleton - just like you can't live without your skeleton)

One of the lesser known Animals, The Okapi, the giraffe of the forest. It has been one of Alice's favorite animals for years. It's tongue can reach its ears. We would catch Alice walking on all fours with her tongue out and towards her ear, she was pretending to be an Okapi. Today she got to listen to the Okapi keeper and it was "awesome"

She's actually taller than she apperas, she's not standing straight.

"stand up straight little missy!"

Alice is not mad, she's in character.

We have tons of pictures of each child in this nest, but none of Joely, she refuses to a mindless part of the herd.

Alice chose Chikfila for lunch, no picutres were taken.

as Promised

So our littlest Mullens turned three on the thirteenth.
What a fun day she had.

She just kept singing

"Happy Birthday -- MMMEEEE"

all day, it was too cute.

She LOVED her Themed Cake and her awesome Yo Gabba Toys.

She loved that her BFF Keegan was there-

and another older BFF Dana was there. (stupid me I forgot to take her picture)

Joely loves to talk to and about Dana, however whenever Dana is close by she is usually quiet.

On her "cell" I hear her talking to Dana all day long.
In fact she reminds me that I need to call my friend Dana. In reality Dana is my friend, along with her husband Dayle, Dana and Dayle have a boy, Travis who is a BFF of David and Quentin and also Alice adores him, we call Travis our brother from another mother. But I digress.

Grandma and Grandpa Mullens came to her party too, and she loves her grandparents.

She was concerned because Lacie, wasnt't there, but she told me

"Grandpa will bring her dinner"

Which is true, Grandpa makes sure to bring home some of his food to feed Lacie.

So Basically we are enamored of Joely.

Here are a few of her favorite things

1. Going to see Keegan

(which is awesome for me, because I love to go see Keegan's mom)

2. Going to church- today she couldnt' go because she has strep and had not been on her penecillin long enough, she was in her room searching for a dress to wear all the time crying that she was going to church- ADORABLE

3. Her grandparents. She loves when my mom comes to visit. I become invisible, the only thing she is concerned about is what grandma is doing, where she is, who she's talking to etc. She loves to visit Rob's parents and when we go over there, she takes out her car seat and tells me goodbye before I even get to the door. She assumes and she feels entitles to an overnight visit whenever we stop in.

4. Yo Gabba Gabba- None of us understand this, but none of us are three.

5. The puppies. She loves her dogs.

6. The babies. She plays with her baby doll, so sweet and she uses a cute voice. Typically the baby needs to go to sleep, but she's always patient with her. She also loves Baby Colton and pulls faces at him and talks baby talk to him, (the aforementioned mom of Keegan babysits Baby Colton)

7. Doing things independently. Her most common phrase is "I do it MYSELF"

It's nice on the one hand, and completly lame on the other but she can and will do most things by herself.

8. Last but not least she wants to "HELP" and boy does she. She will help with anything just as long as she's first, and well if she's not first she makes it clear that you need to give up your spot.

We are so glad we have our little Joely Rose. What a fun little girl she's been and she's brought us great joy. Let's hear it for unplanned pregnancies!