Picture a Christmas(time)

Another year, another Christmas.  Funny how fast it sneaks up and then how fast it's gone.  We stayed here this year, and while of course it's always nice to visit family, it was nice to just be us in our house.  Overall, it was a lovely Christmas season, complete with lots of food and activities out and about.  Let's take a look!

We took a trip to see the lights at Temple Square.  They delivered, as always.

You know what the best time to see the Temple Square lights is?  At 5:00 on a weekday, at the beginning of December.  No crowds (plus perfect weather).

We took the Frontrunner train up, which was popular with the little master.  Don'tlookatmeI'menormous.

With Drewbles on vacation, we took ourselves (and our free passes) to the Museum of Ancient Life or whatever it's called.  There were many delighted exclamations of "Saaaaaaur!"

You know what the best time to visit the museum is?  In the morning on a random weekday.  Even during Christmas week, it wasn't crowded.

Hee hee, hat.

On the shopping list for next summer: a sandbox.

We started Christmas Eve off with bringing in the slide from the backyard.  It has been a BIG hit.

Aside from some bead fascination, I will say the tree was mostly safe from little hands.  (Also, next year I am REALLY going to make a tree skirt.  For reals this time.)

Hard to believe there will be four next year!  Did we get the third from Target (3) dollar bins?  Yes.  Did we get several more for future use?  Yes, yes, we did.

Hold your horses!

A little dinner in his new jammies from Nana, then we watched the short Nativity movie and it was off to bed!
(We stayed up to watch more Amazing Race and have a traditional [mini] buffet.)

As expected, this parking garage was the big hit!  Did we buy it in August at the Just Between Friends sale?  Yes, yes, we did.

The banana in his stocking was also a favorite.

"Now do you like my hat?"  "I do!  I like that party hat!"

I got Drewbles some new running shoes... (the sign reads: "Just kidding! Let's go shopping!")

He opened Grandma's presents all by himself.

This seems to be a good summary of Boo Boo's feelings about Christmas.  (Also note the snow leopard, which I got for Christmas, lo, many moons ago.  It is frequently sat upon.)

A merry and happy Christmas to all!

Picture a Thanksgiving

This year, for the first time, I took Drewbles to my Missouri homestead for Thanksgiving.  It was long overdue and we all had a great time.  Babycakes was perfect on our two-leg flight there, even though I had to get him out of bed at 5 AM to go to the airport.  Dream baby.

I must confess to not taking many pictures while we were there, but that just means we were having too much fun to take pictures!  We played tons of games, board and Wii, watched movies, good and terrible, and ate ate ate ate and ate until we could eat no more (then we ate some more).  

Boo Boo slept happily in the pack and play and loved all the extra attention.  Plus Grandma's house has a bunch of neat toys we don't have, like a toy vacuum.  Anyway, like I said, a grand time was had by all and here are pictures to illustrate, oh, like three days out of the whole trip.  So, picture this...

...carving Tyler's homegrown pumpkins for our pumpkin pies.

...trying on cousin Rose's boots and then making this face.  lololololol

(It was just coincidence that he happened to be wearing what looks like old timey undies...)

...a very cold race on Thanksgiving morn.

(Very cold.)

...cooking up a storm of Thanksgiving food.

...the Thanksgiving spread.  Mmm, turkey.

...mmmm, pies.  (Not pictured: the spoils of Babylon THREE visits to Slice of Pie.

...a trip to the Zoo, where Drewbles got his annual senior portrait taken.

...hanging out in a den of some kind.

...someone REALLY wanted to play with the stroller.

 

(I would like to note that I bought Boo Boo's shirt at Kohls on Black Friday for $1.50.  It wasn't a deal, just clearance.  [That was all I bought.])

...cousins being super cute.

(If they were in a band together, I think this would be their album cover.)

(*insert Drew singing "Sisters Do"*)

...traditional picture taking!  Did I mention Sarah is due a week before me?

Here's some proof.  (No, that is NOT my belly button.)

...grands and gorillas.  Okay, just gorilla.

...hee hee.  That face!  That other face!  Those faces!

Little cheese.

And so we went and thus we returned in the Decembertimes.  We came back with many new treasures for Boo Boo, including tractors and puzzles.  We even brought back a Christmas present or two (or Diablo three) and some things for the Poppy as well!  Thanks for the fun times, family!  Too bad we didn't take pictures of all those games of Rummikub.

Eighteen Months. Or So.

(Okay, technically nineteen months.)

Boo Boo is growing right up.  He's getting bigger all the time and smarter all the time too.  It's so fun to watch him get ideas, try things out and figure out the daily puzzles of life.  He is still pleasant, sweet and a great sleeper--thankfully those have never changed.  Mostly he has been changing in small ways, in what toys he likes and how he interacts things.  

This hat never gets old.

Yes, I cut his hair okay?!!?

It would be nice if he really only cost this much, hm?

He is really into every kind of vehicle lately.  Animals are still a big thing too and he loves stuffed animals, as he is my child.  Books have always been popular, but he says more of the words now and sometimes I hear him reciting parts to himself ("Mama? Dada? Wowwwww!").  In general I guess you would just say he's more interested in the world.

It's almost like Autopia, yes?

Some days you just don't want to get out of your jammies.

Some quick stats, for the record, for his last appointment: weight was 25.6 lbs (44%), height was 33.5 inches (80%) and head size was 19.5 inches (89%). 

Also he finally got a molar in on the bottom!  Sometimes I think it is a wad of gum.  The very tips of his top molars popped through WEEKS ago and haven't moved since.  Now for the big developments:

First, he graduated from the high chair and did so quite loudly and emotionally I must say.  Now he sits at the table in his cow booster and it's fun to see his little face at the table with us.  He's also much more interested in feeding himself and is really getting the hang of using a spoon.  As for forks, well, fingers are still easier.

He carefully gathered up all the rings and put them on the milk jug.

His favorite foods haven't changed too much--bananas, rolls, avocados, cheese of any kind, eggs.  And if he doesn't want it, well, he will tell you.

Speaking of telling and speaking of speaking, the second big thing is his recent explosion of language.  Just a week or two before Thanksgiving he started talking a little bit more and I got him saying "uh oh" and "tada!", which is cute.  But then it just exploded over the Thanksgiving holidays!  Puppy, kitty, hi, grandma, apple, orange, auntie, TRACTOR (all the time), truck, car, train, choo choo...everything.  And now he says all kinds of other words, mail man ("me-moh"), dog, airplane, baby, drink, water, bath, avocado ("haku"), bear, binky...it goes on and on.  I love his babbling sounds, but it is also fun to hear him say actual words in his cute little voice.  Especially when he says "nigh nigh mama."
 

No, I could not resist the Yoda hat.  Come on, it's so funny!

Oh, I must also add that now he's eighteen months, he goes to nursery at church!  I was nervous, I can't deny it.  But honestly...why do I ever worry about him adapting to things??  We took him in, he saw trucks and has been happily going to nursery ever since.  Seriously, why do I worry?  Going from the bassinet to the crib?  No problem.  Eating solids?  Cool.  Weaning?  Easy peasy.  Moving?  Didn't even notice.  Airplane flights?  Perfect!  

So I should probably stop worrying about how he'll deal with the Poppy.