Ella Clendinning's Christmas Recital - 2006

Here is video of the dance recital of our good friends The Clendinning's daughter, Ella.

Email From Marty- Merry Christmas To All! 2006

Merry Christmas to my favorite family and friends!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, or holiday celebration of choice! As you can see by the photo, I made friends with the big guy in the red suit just in the “nick” of time- no pun intended! Hohoho!

I’ve feared the old man for the past 6 weeks, since he first entered the malls before Thanksgiving. Mommy dragged me kicking and screaming, but I wouldn’t get close to him! Our next attempt she brought Renee and Charley (my Aunt NayNay and ChaCha) who promised me she’d buy me a bigger helicopter than Santa could bring if I’d just sit on his lap long enough for a picture. I thought long and hard about that bribe, but in the end I just high-tailed it back to the stroller! Well, I knew I was running out of time…so I finally braved the big lap of fur and fuzz. You know, he wasn’t so bad! He had a nice voice and we talked about airplanes and helicopters. He was hardly scary at all! I told him I’d been good- hoping he couldn’t see through that stretch of the truth and he said he’d leave me some presents after I was asleep on Christmas Eve!

He did it! Santa Claus even remembered that I was at Grandmama and John Daddy’s house in Hurst! I got just what I wanted plus a few extras too. We all had a very nice Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at church and then at my Aunt Sandy and Uncle John’s for dinner and then Mommy and Grandmama and I went to visit some family at a Christmas party in Fort Worth while Daddy and the guys stayed home and got ready for Santa, whatever that means! Today we all had lunch at Grandmama and John Daddy’s and opened even more presents! I also talked to my Vaneskahian grandparents in Florida who were having a nice Christmas too. Abuela had just been to visit me last week and brought lots of presents too. You just won’t believe all of the presents I have! I’m a very lucky boy, and very loved, and of course very deserving too!

I hope you all got everything you wished for and a few extras too! Have a wonderful holiday and a very happy and safe New Year!

Love ya lots!
Marty a.k.a. Jean-Martin Garabet Vaneskahian

Christmas Video 2006

Here is video of Marty opening his presents from Florida in Christmas 2006

Email From Marty- Happy Thanksgiving 2006

Dear Family and Friends,

“Obble, Obble, Gobble”….that’s what the turkey says! Happy Thanksgiving! We had a great Turkey Day at my cousins J.D. and Carley’s new house. We had lots of food and cousin Grace came too so I had someone my age to get in trouble with! It was a typical day with too much yummy food thanks to Grandma, John Daddy and Aunt Mary. Uncle John and the guys were in front of the TV watching football, Mommy and Aunt Sandy were digging thru the sale flyers in the newspaper, and there were a few naps for some of us. Mommy and Daddy went to a movie between lunch and dinner, and after we got home late that night and Mommy tucked Daddy and I into bed she went off to join all of the other women in Collin County at the Midnight Madness Sale at the Allen Outlet Mall! You know Mommy, she can’t miss a sale!

I know it has been a long time since I’ve written and I apologize for the delay. My parents have me on a tight schedule and I’m afraid that I’m on the verge of toddler burn-out!

I try to be a good boy! I really do. I want them to be proud of me and I try to show off when they want me to recite the alphabet or my numbers. Yes, I’ve learned the colors to make Mommy happy, and I’m trying my darnedest to learn to count objects to get Daddy off of my back! BUT…they’re taking this TOO FAR! Daddy’s driving me nuts with his science stuff! Wouldn’t ya know I’d get a Dad with a science major! We go outside every night and say goodnight to the moon. That’s ok, but now he’s got me memorizing the planets! He’s even got the ENTIRE DVD collection of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos Series which we watch every night! To combat this influence, Mommy is fighting back with her love of art!! But I’m afraid she’s not fighting on the same level. To keep up with Daddy she should have me studying the master’s works at the Louvre in Paris, but instead we’re taking a “Mommy & Me” class called Abrakadoodle at the Rec Center for 2 year olds that’s lots of fun! Every Monday we get to paint and get all messy! I come home with my own framed masterpiece to show Daddy. Though, I think he’d be more impressed if I was painting a picture of the solar system!

My true passion is airplanes and helicopters. I live and breathe them! I wake up to them, make engine noises and pretend I’m flying. I can name most all of the parts from the tail rotors and skids to the ailerons and rudders, and even the pittot tubes. I love to hang out at the McKinney Airport with Daddy. We do that at least once a week! Usually on Sunday mornings we get up early and let Mommy sleep, go get some breakfast at McD’s and then head out to see who’s flying! They all know us pretty well out there and the regulars recognize me. I’d stay there all day just to watch planes take off and land if Daddy would let me, but eventually we have to leave. But as soon as we come home I play with my toy planes and helicopters! I have lots of them!! I have some really cool books too. Just the other day while we were shopping at Half Price Books, Mommy found a book in the children’s section about airplanes with cute drawings and cartoons that she thought I’d like. But I’d already found the book I wanted- the 1995 International Directory of Civil Aircraft!! It’s got photos of all kinds of airplanes and helicopters. Yes, most kids might like the cute, juvenile books, but this catalog is really cool and I spend hours looking at the pictures in it every day! I can even pick out the photos of the piper cub and the DC-3. You don’t think that’s weird for a two year-old, do you???

I got to attend my first real Air Show at Alliance Airport! It was a little overwhelming. Especially when the simulated air bomb attack started over head that no one had warned me about! Ella and Logan and their parents came along and we had a fun day, though it was really hot. We saw all kinds of airplanes and helicopters. I think Daddy had a good time too. He really likes all of that stuff too. He’s the one that got me interested in aviation. Just last weekend he and Mommy took me to an airplane museum that was really fun too. I walked up to an engine on display and told Daddy that it was a piston engine. Now how many two year-olds know what a piston engine looks like, huh?

I’ve been busy with some other fun stuff too. Mommy decided I needed a little exposure to my heritage so she and Daddy took me to the annual Armeniafest. I think she went just for the Baklava! All of the people there looked like Daddy and his side of the family. I sure didn’t look like an Armenian kid! But it was cool to watch them dance, though I think I could teach them a few dance steps myself. I liked the food too.

We also went to Grace’s house for a Halloween party that was really cool. I was dressed as…you guessed it, a pilot!! We decorated cupcakes (I ate all of the decorations off of the table while no one was looking!), we jumped in the bounce house and even hit a piñata until candy came out! Then a few nights later we went door to door begging for candy. Now this is something new that I really liked!!! Mommy says we can only do it one night a year but I really like the concept. We went over to Aunt Sandy and Uncle John’s neighborhood and to Grandma’s house. However next year I’m not riding home with Daddy…my candy dwindled on the ride home!

Well folks, it’s Christmastime again. Last year it was still new to me, but this year I think I know how to work the system! I know it all starts when the scary fat man in the red suit hits town. I realize that I MUST brave the mall and the line to sit in the creepy guy’s lap long enough for the dreaded photo and to appear that I AM a “good boy.” After all it IS all about appearances! Then I come home, email him my list of wants and sit back and wait for Christmas morning! In the meantime, I must endure being pranced around in silly little holiday outfits that Mommy thinks are “just adorable” to wear to Christmas parties. I must be tempted with a million plastic ornaments hung on a fake tree in the family room that look good enough to eat but really taste terrible. Then there’s the living room tree. It’s in the “no-touch zone.” It has china ornaments than any other time I would never be interested in. But just because I know I’m not supposed to touch them, I just CAN’T resist. The urge is more powerful than I am!!

I’m having a little party of my own and you are invited! On Saturday afternoon, December 16th please come on over to my house for my 1st Annual Christmas Cookie Party. We’re going to be decorating cookies to eat and to take home for Santa! (I’m going to need a good bribe when he gets to my house to make sure he leaves me some gifts!) It’s from 2-4 p.m. at 5028 Avery Lane in McKinney. We’d love to have you stop by so please come! RSVP to my email at marty@vaneskahian.com or call Mommy at 972-540-0884. I hope to see you there!

LOVE,
MARTY (Jean-Martin G. Vaneskahian)

Email From Marty- August 2006

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Heat Wave! Hope you are all staying cool this summer. I’m not! After a HUGE electric bill last month, Daddy put Mommy and me on a spending diet starting with the air conditioning. Now we just get in the car during the 100+ degree days and spend $3 a gallon driving around to keep cool instead of staying home and sweating in the 78 degree house! Or worse, go to the mall where it’s really cool! Mommy says not to tell Daddy though, it’s our little secret.

Part of our “diet” also includes cut backs in other areas including this newsletter. You may have noticed that it’s not fancy, no headlines enlarged and in color, and no extra software expense to mass mail to you all at once. I’m also having to use Mommy’s email address to send you this letter. That was all cut from our budget! Sorry…..

We had a nice summer vacation to Florida to visit the Vaneskahian side of the family. Daddy’s sister, my Tia Ani that lives in Uruguay brought her new baby boy, Paolo to meet his American cousins. I also got to play with my cousins Perla and Isabelle that live in Orlando. Then we all got in a big van and went to the beach for a few days. We had a great time!! We played in the sand and hung out by the pool. It was nice to spend time with my grandparents too! My Abuelo, (I just call him Abu) just came to visit me last week! He came to celebrate Daddy’s birthday and spend time with me! We had lots of fun. He even went to The Little Gym class with me! He did pretty good for an old guy! Then my Abuela will be here in a few weeks for my birthday party!

Good news! Aunt Mary and Uncle Vicky are all moved to Texas now from Memphis, yeah!! Cousin Grace and I went over to help them unpack. Once they are settled in Grace and I are going to vacation for a week or two at their house. I know they will want us to stay longer but I’m sure Mommy and Daddy will start missing me by the second week. Since Grace is their granddaughter she might stay longer. I bet Uncle Vicky will take us to Six Flags and the water parks. I think the zoo might be nice this time of year too. I’m sure that he and Aunt Mary will do anything that Grace and I want to do!

Grace and I have been seeing a lot of each other lately. Our parents took us to a new place to play called “Kid Muse.” It’s kind of an indoor play place. If you look at the pictures taken that day, it looks like our parents were having more fun that we were. Daddy was hogging the air hockey table and Brian took a nap in the bean bag chairs!

I’ve developed quite a collection of airplanes and helicopters! Sometimes I spend all day just flying them around the house. Mommy really likes it when I do! What she likes most though is when I leave them on the carpet. They are metal and she finds them with her bare feet! Everytime!! I always know when she’s found one because I can hear her. Daddy’s teaching me all the body parts and I can identify each one’s cockpits, wings, propellers or turbines, rotors, etc. Mommy works with me to teach me the letters of the alphabet and the numbers and Daddy comes home and it’s all about airplanes and helicopters!! Daddy even lets me read his Air and Space Magazines! (When he’s finished with them, of course!)

Another milestone was reached this last month. I went to my first cinema. Mommy and Daddy planned a whole Saturday around my first trip to the movies. We got up early and went to the new Cinemark to see the movie, Cars. Daddy had the camera, Mommy got the popcorn, cokes, and forbidden candy and we got the best seats in the house in plenty of time before the previews began. I had time to run up and down the row, eat some popcorn, dig in Mommy’s purse, check out the seat mechanism to fold it up then down, pull the straw out of Mommy’s coke and drop it on the floor, run up and down the row again and climb on the hand rail. Then the previews began…about 20 minutes of them. By the time the real movie started I didn’t care anything about sitting in a seat watching anything, I’d had all of the popcorn and candy I’d wanted, and I was ready to begin my decent on the stairs in the dark. After the first 15 minutes of the movie Mommy was tired from wrestling to keep me in her lap and Daddy was embarrassed because we were being so loud so they scooped me up, popcorn bag and all and out we went. Daddy had a disgusted look on his face. I felt bad that I had disappointed him but he just had to understand that Barney himself could have been there dancing in the row in front of us, but after 30 minutes I’ve hit my max and I’m ready to go!

Speaking of disappointing parents, I think Mommy has given up her dream of me being a concert violinist. She’s finally faced facts that the best she can hope for is a drummer in a rock and roll band! I’m sure it would be ok with her if I could get a job with Bon Jovi!! I got a set of drums for my birthday last year and she and Daddy kept putting off taking them out of the box. They said I wasn’t old enough, but I know they just didn’t want to hear me practice. (She said I’d already been ruined with the Leap Frog Drum from Old Uncle Dave that I got last year!) Well, I began playing Uncle Tommy’s drums in his garage at he and NayNay’s (Renee) house in Southlake. Tommy said when I get older he’ll really teach me how to play! Mommy started feeling guilty so she told Daddy to get out the drums and put them together for me. Boy, can I really rock!! I’m much better than I even thought I would be. Anytime you want to hear me just ask me to play my “bum bums.”

I think I disappointed the old man too. He’s in a big hurry to have a little scientist in the family…and well, Mommy tried to tell him it wasn’t a good idea…. Anyway, Daddy had a rocket that he and J.D. had launched a couple of years back and he decided that I would think it was really cool. I’m not even 2 yet (but only 12 shopping days left!!) and J.D. was about 5, but Daddy thought I would like a loud blast and a fast shooting rocket. So he drags me and Mommy out in the 120 degree heat in a field and gets it all set up. Did I mention he forgot something and had to go back home and left us standing in the blazing sun!!? Anyway, finally he’s all ready and he gives Mommy the blast-off button to push so he can hold me and all of the sudden there’s a shotgun sound and I think I’ve been shot!! I’m screaming and can’t be still long enough to see where blood is coming from. Daddy’s trying to get me to watch where the rocket is going up and I’m just trying to run for cover before the sniper hits again. For some reason Mommy is laughing hysterically. All is happening in a matter of seconds and just as I realize I haven’t been shot, out of the sky comes the rocket falling directly overhead so I make a run for it! Daddy just shook his head and through the pieces of the rocket back in the box and headed for the car. Me and Mommy were already inside with the car running and the A/C on high!

I had a little road trip this summer and did my first crusin’ 6th Street in Austin on a Saturday night at midnight! Mommy and Renee have been on many, MANY, road trips over the years, but never with a toddler in tow. We dropped Charley (Renee’s daughter) at a volleyball camp at UT in Austin and headed south for a weekend of outlet shopping and visiting Carolyn (Renee’s mom) and Grandmama Smith who just moved to Boerne. Our last night back into Austin late to get a hotel room so we could be there early to pick up Charley the next morning somehow Mommy got us in the 6th Street traffic. Mommy and Renee laughed about how many times they’d been in the crowds there before (20 years before), but not in a Suburban, and not with a toddler in the back!

I shouldn’t have to mention this, because I know it’s on everyone’s calendars….but my 2nd birthday is coming up in just days!!! Yes, I know it’s hard to believe that I’m growing up so fast but I’ll be 2 on September 4th! Unfortunately Mommy made a promise to Daddy last year at a weak moment that this year’s party would be scaled down from the blow-out we had for my first birthday party. That promise added to our “spending diet” and this budget birthday may not be one for the scrapbooks!! But, come on over anyway and help me celebrate. I think we can afford a cake and some ice cream! We’re going to party this year at home on Saturday, September 9th starting about 6:30pm. (Maybe Daddy will be in a good mood and we can turn the air conditioner down a few degrees for the party!) Hope to see you then!!

CLICK HERE FOR OUR MOST CURRENT PHOTO ALBUMS: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaneskahian/sets/
July-August 2006, Kid Muze, and June Trip to Orlando

Love,
Jean- Martin (Marty) G. Vaneskahian

p.s. from Mommy
I apologize for the many red eyes in the photos. Our camera is terrible about red eye and I used to go in and adjust the color on each of the photos, but I seem to be running out of time these days!! Sorry!! ~Marjorie