Take a magician, balloon animals, add cake, and then share it with a dozen of your friends. What else do you need?

– 27-Feb-2011

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Moments before impact.

Moments before impact. – 11-Dec-2010

Before the Sunday winter storm warning went into effect, weekend activities included building a snow T-rex (“My favorite dinosaur,” says David), which is currently an annual tradition, taking part in a snowball fight, and learning about finding the right jacket to “skunk.”

Photos

Here comes the snowball. – 11-Dec-2010	Snow blur. – 11-Dec-2010	Snow T-Rex. "My favorite dinosaur." – 11-Dec-2010
Snow T-Rex, profile. – 11-Dec-2010	Snowchild falls off swing. – 11-Dec-2010	Aunt Susie’s pea coat — skunked! – 11-Dec-2010

Videos

Click image to view video.

Banks Family snowball fight.

Banks Family snowball fight.

Snowman slide collision.

Snowman slide collision.

Plus, you’ll enjoy David’s new morning activity — putting on his snow boots and getting the paper. Brrr, David, please put on your jacket… David?

Paper Boy, December 2010

Paper Boy, December 2010

Thanks to friends and neighbors who managed to trudge it through the ensuing snowstorm to make out to our 2nd annual holiday open house. You were treated to an impromptu basement jam session.

Exclusive basement performance during Banks Family Holiday Open House 2010.

Exclusive basement performance during Banks Family Holiday Open House 2010.

– 31-Oct-2010

We’d have to say that this Halloween’s been the most exciting for David and the Banks Family. We’d already been to the Cleveland Metroparks Boo at the Zoo last week (see photos below, plus video of David getting picked for the magic show). So David was  roarin’ and ready for Sunday’s trick-or-treating. After a half hour around the block to collect candy, and an hour distributing candy at the front door, David dove into his treats voraciously. Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry about staying up late on chocolate. Listen carefully in the video for his enthusiastic chomping.

More Photos

Halloween

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Boo at the Zoo

– 24-Oct-2010

– 24-Oct-2010

– 24-Oct-2010

Video

Select image to view video.

Mmm, this candy is goooood.

Magic show at “Boo at the Zoo” that David wanted to see three times in a row! Finally, he was picked as a volunteer. (Movie in two parts, due to battery.)

Finally: Since David wanted to watch the magician no less than three times in a row, let’s give the entertainer a plug. Find out more about him via his website, RW Magic, and via his Facebook page.

– 04-Jul-2010

Thanks, Laura, Richard and Jane, for hosting the barbecue. The kids definitely enjoyed the Lakewood community parade!

– 04-Jul-2010

– 04-Jul-2010

Now, for some musical accompaniment on the accordion. (Select the image to view video).

– 04-Jul-2010

Joe’s first birthday without brother Uncle Jon is spent getting a good cheer up at Memphis Kiddie Park, followed by a quiet splash in the back yard, and ice cream! Select the image below to view the movie.

Celebrating Joe’s birthday by getting away at Memphis Kidde Park, getting splashed in the back yard, and then eating ice cream!

Happy Birthday to You! (David’s 4th Birthday Party)

Happy Birthday to You! (David’s 4th Birthday Party) – 27-Feb-2010

Select image to play video.

A smaller gathering of David’s friends, plus their tag-along parents, ventured to the Banks abode on a day with snow (but no blizzard) for David’s latest birthday.

Photo Highlights

Kids and parents. – 27-Feb-2010	Mmmmm, cake. – 27-Feb-2010	Neighbor Naimah. – 27-Feb-2010
Rachel! – 27-Feb-2010	Skating lesson classmate Rachel and school classmate Ellie. – 27-Feb-2010	Jane, Owen, Naimah – 27-Feb-2010

More Video

– 27-Feb-2010

Time for cake! – 27-Feb-2010

Playtime. No one wanted to pin the tail on the Donkeysaur (yet). – 27-Feb-2010

– 06-Mar-2009

Sorry it’s been a while since we’ve last been here to post. You’ll see the date stamp as the day after David’s birthday, but it’s actually spring as I write this, if you can believe the weather. Being a family is more enjoyable than writing about it, so that’s always our excuse.

Thanks to everyone who made it over for David’s birthday party. This year was a smaller gathering with only family and next door neighbors, thank goodness. Parties are still a little overwhelming, as you’ll see from the video. David even requested that we NOT sing the Birthday Song, but Daddy wasn’t fully listening, evidently.

After a great day at the orchestra last Sunday with David and Aunt Susie (“Chillin’ Cello,” the last installment of the Cleveland Orchestra’s Musical Rainbows series), which David really enjoyed, the Banks Family is now looking forward to seeing Thomas the Train via the “Day Out with Thomas Series” in the upcoming weeks.

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Hey, we always want to hear from you!  Write a comment below or send us an email through this site.

Hello, everyone! Thanksgiving and Christmas are long over and we had a great holiday. You can see a selection of December/Christmas photos at the end of this post.

– 01-Dec-2008

An alternate photo for the Banks Family Holiday Card.

We certainly appreciate all the Christmas cards we received from family and friends. As David turns three in February, we’ve felt more able to keep in contact with everyone, including those who live outside our city limits!

As Sheryl would agree, we realize every day how raising David is the most monumental event ever to happen in our lives, second only to getting married. For me, personally, I now more fully understand parents when they talk about the difference between Before Children and After. It’s the conversations with other parents, for example, at get-togethers at friends’ houses where we talk about, well, parenthood, that we gravitate to the quickest, and for good reason! And the impact of any story in the news where a child has been hurt, abused or neglected is felt personally.

Things to look forward to in 2009:

• A lovely night out for Valentine’s day
• David’s birthday
• Annual Banks Family vacation
• Aunt Linda’s speedy recovery from her surgery
• Continued good health of our friends and family
• Contact from you, after you read our site!

Photos

– 25-Dec-2008	– 25-Dec-2008	– 25-Dec-2008
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– 27-Dec-2008

Videos

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This month included a visit to Patterson Farm, pumpkin carving/fun in the leaves with Unka Jon, making Halloween cookies, and celebrating both Unka Jon’s and Aunt Susie’s birthdays.

– 19-Oct-2008

David caught the flu the night before Halloween Trick-or-Treat night this year, so we saved dress-up for neighbor Karen’s annual Halloween party. We went as the Zombie Family a.k.a. the Unregistered Voter Family. Scary, huh?

– 01-Nov-2008

Videos

Happy Birthday, Uncle Jon!

– 05-Oct-2008

Halloween Cookies

– 26-Oct-2008

Happy Birthday, Aunt Susie!

– 01-Nov-2008

Photo Galleries

Patterson Farms

2008-10-04

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Carving Pumpkins with Uncle Jon

2008-10-19

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Halloween Party

2008-11-01

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– 01-Mar-2008

A smaller gathering of close family and friends gathered for David’s 2nd birthday this year. Ever since neighbors Anna and Sophia had their birthdays very recently, and with Anna’s birthday song a regular staple on David’s viewing list (“Watch Annah’s Buthday Potty!”), David had been looking forward to his own birthday song for weeks.

So when his birthday song moment arrived, as you’ll see in the video, David was nearly overwhelmed!

Highlights:

• Anna’s birthday kiss for David. He didn’t protest!
• David loves to push Anna’s stroller, so when she got him his own, it was his favorite toy du moment, as evidenced in the video.
• The Tonka digger (“Truck! Digger!”), for which he can’t wait to take outside. In the spring, Daddy may just have to leave a pile of topsoil for him to play in (same as last year, but this time, left more purposefully than “lazily”).
• Everyone smiling at David’s amazement at the birthday song.
• The weather, cooperating this time.

The Birthday Song Video

Shy for the birthday song.

Shy for the birthday song. – 01-Mar-2008

More Photos

– 01-Mar-2008	– 01-Mar-2008	– 01-Mar-2008
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More Video

Happy Birthday… Cake? Happy Birthday… Cake? – 01-Mar-2008	David tries out the new stroller, Part 1. David tries out the new stroller, Part 1. – 01-Mar-2008
David tries out the new stroller, Part 2. David tries out the new stroller, Part 2. – 01-Mar-2008	Do you like your digger, Davey? Do you like your digger, Davey? – 01-Mar-2008
David can’t nap after the party! Can you believe it? David can’t nap after the party! Can you believe it? – 01-Mar-2008