I really did try to ignore this.  But this was the third time in one week that I caught him doing it.  The other two times I took the doll and threw it down telling him, “This is for girls!”  But today, I thought, “Fine!  I tried playing nice,  now I’m going to take pictures to show you when you’re a teenager!”  (Okay, that is a little harsh, but I don’t want him playing with dolls!!)

Asher-20 months

It makes me feel better to pretend that he is putting this baby doll in a head lock.

Maybe this is a sign that he will be a good daddy!?!

Some random pictures this month deserve to seen and so here is their turn!
Rilyn and Ella went to their good friend, Cole’s, ‘Star Wars’ themed birthday party.  All the girls got to wear handmade Princess Leia buns! What a cute idea!

Asher has taken a liking to pushing his sisters’ doll stroller around the house.  In an effort to thwart his ‘girly’ behavior, I switched the stroller with a grocery cart. (Just a little less girly, I know.)  Anyway, before I know it, he gets in my Tupperware cabinet and fills the cart with my Tupperware!  He was hilarious pushing it around the house-my own little Tupperware lady man!

Who needs bowls?

When we were in Fort Worth, Ella fell in love with Aunt Mandy’s cat, Leyle. Did I mention this kitty has a weight problem? That didn’t seem to bother Ella though, as she carried Leyle around the house like she was her baby. Poor kitty!

——————————————-
Prologue – Epic of Light and Darkness
——————————————-

Legends tell of a war that began before the known world’s creation was completed…

Before the known world was created, a nameless god made an experimental world, and, with his pure immortality, created life in it. He split that life into two, was named “Curia” and “Aria”[1]. The powerful creator made the Curia the beings of light, and Aria, the beings of darkness.

The experimental world, named “Alaz”, where the former life lived was split into two, the world of Curia, “Mitholia”, and the world of Aria, “Mikenzalla”[2].

As the nameless god, to distinguish the characteristics of the two races, made two books: the book of Curia, “Codex of Iris”, and the book of Aria, “Codex of Skies”[3]. In each book contains the common traits of Curians and Arians, as well as the unique traits of every member of each race..

And after hundreds of years, the god seamlessly merged both worlds into each other. The Curians discovered Mikenzalla, and the Arians, Mitholia. The god pondered as Curians and Arians interacted. Then Alaz had a long time of peace.

He made an angel that he named “Le’ Likr”[4] that will guard the entrance to the domain of both Codexes, as any modification of the books will mean a total change in the experiment.

But, Le’ Likr, upon seeing the power of the Codexes, desired to use them for his own purposes. Using his knowledge, he dymanically changed and added a phrase. After that, he tried to remove it, but he failed. And the powerful god, as he pondered by the pages of these erasure-proof books, was surprised to see a new entry: “Only their own kin shall live.”

To his rage as he knew about his vicious servant’s plans, he immediately commanded the destruction of Likr. Unfortunately, Likr quickly dashed away from judgment, after writing another phrase: Wings. Instantaneously, Curians quickly grew white wings made of fine-laid feathers; and, for Arians, wings of skin that resembled wings of dragons. The god then unlocked the books’ erase-proof encryptions, decided to erase the malicious phrases, but, it was too late.

A great war has started. Curians, who are beings of intellect, and Arians, who are beings of strength, began to fight each other. Light and darkness then clashed. The war continues, and the nameless creator, desparate to stop the war that is happening in his “unattended experiment”, began to make a new world. As each Curian and Arian dies from the endless war, the god made another world and gave life the freedom to choose their own destinies… Their own fate…

The war ended as Curians’ highest order: The Oracle of 12, made another world exclusively for Curians, the Realm of “Khristia”[5]. The Curians fled to this new world and the Arians claimed Mitholia. The powerful god didn’t spared any moment to ponder on what is happening to Alaz; he continued his new world.

Then the god, after completing the second world, decided to destroy Alaz. The remaining Curians who made it into Khristia was excluded from the “Groundbreak”[6]. The Arians, who were in the middle of a victory party and unaware of their destruction, panicked as the earth trembled, the skies turned blindingly white, and void began to consume the living matter of Alaz. As the first world swirled into a big abyss, a very powerful Arian named “Lucius” made a same world like Khristia. It was named “Arkaia”[7]. Most of the Arians was successful in entering this Arian-exclusive world.

The Curians in their new world chose rulers, and was honored as “Valor Kyrie”[8] then, later, “Valkyrie”. 99 Curians was honored as Valkyrie of Khristia. The latest was “Anathalia Rhandgris”[9], a woman of pure devotion to the exaltation of their nameless god. Ms. Rhandgris was then engaged with Reshka Volatillo[10], the most influential Curian in Khristia. Soon, they were married and Anathalia gave birth to her descendant, “Asher Rafka Volatillo de Rhandgris”[11]. Her Eminence proclaimed that her son will be the last Valkyrie of Khristia, who will rule a future war against the Arians. Ms. Rhandgris also proclaimed that during the time between the first day of life until her son’s 21st year of age, the throne will be unoccupied. At her descendant’s 21st year of age, the title “100th Valkyrie of Khristia” will be given to him. Soon after she made these proclamations, she stepped out of power, and Khristia was left with no ruler.

Meanwhile, Lucius and the other arians in Arkaia gathered. The powerful creator of their new world bestowed a curse to all Arians. It was said that this “dark blessing” will activate as they fight against Curians, granting then a piece of Lucius’ power, and will burn them in agony as they attempt to betray their own kinsmen by joining forces with Curians; and, as they die, their souls will be part of Lucius’. As soon as he bestowed the “Vertillo de Ario”[12] to all Arians, his body became frozen, and a red glacier enveloped him. It was said that after all Arians was erased, Lucius will rise again, holding all power of his own race, to destroy all Curians.

The nameless god decided to bury both Codexes of Iris and Skies, and seamlessly combined the new world, the current known world and the ruins of Alaz[13]. Life began to split into many, and decided their own paths, their own destinies, their own fates, by themselves. The god didn’t made another move. He just watched…

As for Le’ Likr, he was cursed and banished to the depths of the abyss during the Groundbreak, but instead of his destruction, the void imprisoned him. And up to what time will he be there? No one knows.

[1] Curia and Aria – The two races that lived during the time of first creation. Curia means “Glass”; Aria means “Slate”.

[2] Mitholia and Mikenzalla – The two kingdoms who reigned in the time before the endless war[14]. Mitholia means “Legend”; Mikenzalla means “History”.

[3] Codexes of Iris and Skies – The two books that contained the characteristics of Curians and Arians.

[4] Le’ Likr – An angel who guarded and abused the Codexes. His name means “Vicious Killer”.

[5] Khristia – A world exclusive to Curians. Khristia means “Floating Earth”.

[6] The Groundbreak – An event in time wherein the world of Alaz was destroyed.

[7] Arkaia – A world exclusive to Arians. Arkaia means “Underground Sky”.

[8] Valor Kyrie – The epithet of the ruler of Khristia. Valor Kyrie means “Guardian of Devotion”.

[9] Anathalia Rhandgris – The 99th Valkyrie (shortened term for Valor Kyrie). Her name means “The Chosen Handmaid”.

[10] Reshka Volatillo – One of the most influential Curians in Khrisita. He was married to Anathalia Rhandgris. Reshka Volatillo means “Fluent Quicksilver”.

[11] Asher Rafka Rhandgris de Volatillo – The heir to the throne of Valkyrie. His name means “The Chosen Descendant of Rafka[15], The Fluent”.

[12] Vertillo de Ario – A curse bestowed to Arians to prevent betrayal. Vertillo de Ario means “Contract of Aria”.

[13] Ruins of Alaz – The nameless god stitched the old, precious ruins of Alaz that survived the Groundbreak.

[14] Rafka – The markh[15] of Anathalia Rhandgris. Rafka, accouding to Curian texts, is the name of the nameless god when he visited Khristia, and Anathalia herself, a long time ago.

[15] Markh – Anyone of basis of principles, attitudes, and values.

It’s that time of year.

The official Social Security Administration list won’t be out until May, but unofficial lists have been circulating since mid-December.

Here at AppMtn, I can’t possibly claim that the most popular posts will be reflected in the Top Ten – or even Top 100 – baby names in use.  Many of the names I write about are obscure.  Some are downright weird.  (Habakkuk, anyone?)  Others probably chart simply because AppMtn is one of the few sites to cover the name in any detail.

And yet, if you look at the lists carefully, there are ripples.  A few of these are definitely coming to a playground near you.

The Top 20 Names of the Day for Boys, as judged by the most popular posts:

1. Finn – The top boy’s Name of the Day for two years, Finn is definitely a name on the rise.  But with plenty of formal choices for the birth certificate, Finn is deceptive.  In 2000, he ranked #834.  By 2008, he’d climbed to #368.  That still seems obscure, but factor in Finnegan and Finley, and that number nearly doubles.
2. Etienne – He’s not in US Top 1000, but the French version of Stephen continues to chart in the AppMtn Top Ten for the second year.
3. St. John – Chalk this one up to curiosity.
4. Eamon – On the other hand, Eamon – with his Irish roots and vowel-rich sound – could catch on.  He’s far more dashing than his English equivalent, Edmund.
5. Caelin – Most of you indicated that history aside, Caelin wouldn’t make the cut for you, thanks to his resemblance to nouveau – and often feminine – names like Kaylin.
6. Declan – He continues to edge up in the US rankings just a bit, and probably represents one that parents are considering as an alternative to Aidan and friends.
7. Elliot – Decades after E.T. flew across movie screens in his bicycle basket, Elliot is finally catching on.  With two equally valid spellings, file him with Finn – more popular than he seems at first glance.  Elliot ranked #332 in 2008.  Add in Elliott, just a few places behind at #386, and this one would rank around #225 in the US.  He’s also among the newest batch of boys’ names parents are considered for girls, probably because of the nickname Ellie.
8. Angus – Parents seeking a formal name for Gus might be cautiously considering Angus, but he remains rare in the US.
9. Kelly – I wrote about Kelly for a boy, and some parents are reclaiming him for Team Blue.  But it is certainly possible that many – even most – of the page views still reflect the use of Kelly for girls.
10. Ronan – Just like Eamon and Declan, this one continues to edge upwards slightly as a possible replacement for Aidan.
11. Alexander – I write about Alexander quite a bit.  It is my firstborn’s name, after all.  His ranking probably reflects how very many other boys share the name, too.
12. Gavin – He’s still climbing, up to #30 in 2008.
13. Elmer – Perhaps he’s in the next wave of hipster baby names, but most searches seem to be related to Mr. Fudd.
14. Donncha – See St. John.  He’d be dashing in Dublin, but in Des Moines you’d be explaining your son’s name thrice daily.
15. Roarke – As short names for boys gain in favor, Roarke might catch on.
16. Remy – Sure he’s a rat.  But he’s a Disney Pixar rat who can cook.
17. Asher – Like Finn, Asher is one of those names that seems original – to lots of parents, all at the same time.  In 2000, he ranked #579.  By 2008, he’d climbed to #206.
18. Cohen – Ah, controversial Cohen.  Yes, he’s only #18 on this list – but his post has only been up for a month.  Leaping from #650 in 2004 to #356 in 2008, like it or not, Cohen is catching on.
19. Holden – He feels like one of those names that fits with current trends nicely, but might not ever quite catch on.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing – though his appearance on this list suggests he might be more popular than I think.
20. Jude – He’s likely to benefit from the trend towards shorter names for boys, and Jude Law doesn’t hurt any.  But Jude probably makes this list at least partially because he was among the first few dozen names I covered, back in May 2008.

Compared to the 2008 list, there are a few changes.  Vaughn, Orrin, Aoyun, Rhys, Raphael and Xavier all dropped out of the Top Ten.  Finn moved up from #2 to #1.

I’m curious to hear your reactions – and standby for the girls’ list later this week!

After our family Christmas in the morning, we drove an hour north to Temple for the Erickson Christmas!

our Ella

Barbie movie!!

Don’t you just love the looks you get from your kids when they open presents?!?

spoiled with gifts

my nephew, Caden’s, first Christmas!

wonder and awe of the season

Asher was so excited to see his new chair!

Their new uncle Eric, a police officer, gave Asher a talking police helmet. Looks like the girls will be using it first for awhile!

The Erickson clan:  Back row: Jessica, Eric, Caden, Jeff, Becca, Norine, Ella, Rick Front row:  Rilyn, James, Asher, and me

Out of the summer ‘09 archives… Asher Roth explains his philosophy on dealing with critics and why he doesn’t read about himself online. Given the spread of unfounded rumours published about him last week all over the internet, his mindset on handling criticism seems as relevant as ever. – SoulCulture.TV

This one is dedicated to the Ms. Mary Jane. Enjoy

DOWNLOAD: Smoke DZA – Marley & Me [Remix]

We wish you a blessed Christmas and may you celebrate Emmanuel!  God with us!

Christmas Eve 2009

My 3 kids who love each other so much!

the Paquettes 2009

last weekend we took a short little getaway and found a spot that we think will become a new family tradition! we stayed at the great wolf lodge in grapevine texas… and it was SO much fun!! the hotel had an indoor waterpark; and has so many neat things to do with kids! it was decorated so pretty for christmas; and we really just had an awesome time being together!this year, cailyn is still terrified of santa!!! we tried several times… but it wasn’t going to happen! so, we got a picture of sweet asher all by himself! he slept right through it all!right across the street from where we stayed was the gorgeous gaylord hotel! shaun & i have been there a couple of times and we knew how pretty it is at christmas! we had to walk through it!we happened to get there when there was no line for the incredible ICE exhibit, so we decided to take cailyn & asher through!! everything is in the exhibit is sculpted out of ice, and it is so cold when you walk through that they give you parkas to wear! this years’ theme was the grinch.. which was incredible.. but a little scary for cailyn at first. by the end she was loving it!this is the inside of the hotel: it was gorgeous! cailyn especially loved the little train tracks that ran through everywhere; shaun had fun pointing them out to her!good times back at the hotel : 
then first thing the next morning we went to the bass pro shop shauns favorite part of the trip for sure! i think he could have happily spent all day there! he had a great time showing cailyn the remote control cars and trucks; marshmallow bow & arrows; and huge fish tank! {i think shaun did feel his age a little bit when he couldn’t get the remote control car to go at first.. and then this little seven year old boy comes up and shows him how!

and here are the only pictures I have of the swim park! sorry these pictures did not turn out so great, but cailyn LOVED the water park! and i think shaun had just has much fun with her!!! they were slides and water splashing down from everywhere! the water was still a little cold, but it was supposed to be about 84 degrees!
after all that we took showers and headed to ft worth for the Bemus family christmas! it was a wonderful time getting to see everyone and asher got to meet another great-grandmother!!

cailyn and aunt see working on a gingerbread man!the little cousins opening up giftscailyn and asher play so well together! i wish we lived closer so they could get together more often; they are too cute!
we had a wonderful little getaway and since then we have been gearing up for christmas!! i’ll post more pictures of that once everything settles down!

We just got home spending the ‘first Christmas’ of the season with James’ family.  We always enjoy spending time with them-don’t get me wrong, but, GOSH! Asher sure makes it hard to really enjoy the holidays right now.  Is it his age?  Or that he is a boy?  Or a sign of things to come with his personality?  I don’t know, but what I do know is that pictures don’t lie…(okay, sometimes they do when I cleverly photoshop them, but I promise, these pictures were not photoshopped!) 

‘Bruiser’ was his nickname on this trip because he received a busted bottom lip, a rubber burn on his chin from the mall playcourt, and an unknown head injury

Lollipops kept him content, (he still is looking for trouble in this picture),but if you dare take the lollipop away because there is nothing but the stick left…

you get this

and this

James’ Christmas in Fort Worth could be summed up as “Sprite and Saltines”.  He got food poisoning right before we left and he never fully recovered the whole time we were there. Poor guy!

blah!

The girls had fun playing the ‘money game,’ as they called it, in Oma and Papaw’s dining room.

Jackpot!

There was no shortage of fun for the girls!  Ella with her game face!

Cindy, Braden, Ben, Asher, Ella, Bear, Rilyn, James, Mandy, Allen, and me

the kiddos

It is so hard to believe that today Asher turns one month old!!! It seems like these four weeks have just flown by. At one month, Asher, you are still the most laid back baby. Everyone comments about how easy going you are. You rarely cry, and when you do, you quickly calm yourself down. We are still waking you up every three hours to eat, and are amazed at how quickly you just fall right back asleep! You sleep through your sister dancing and singing all around you! You even slept through the whole DeLord Christmas You are waking up a little more and love laying on your little playmat! In your one month, you have already traveled to houston, beaumont, fort worth and dallas. you’ve made your rounds and have met all the great grandparents and spent a lot of time with your grandparents, aunts and uncles. you are so adored by all of us!

this week we’ve been up to some more brother and sister bonding
making some rice krispie treats:coloring some ornaments:
and cailyn’s dance class also had a little program! they were all so precious! we are so thankful for this little dance class! it is def the highlight to cailyn’s week!!

asher is awake a little more these days…. so it is getting harder and harder to take pictures can’t believe he has already been with us for almost a month!!!! time is just flying by wayyyyy too fast!