HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Says the Fairy Princess and her brother!

Christmas 2006

This year's Christmas included a lot of firsts for us. The first time we ever put a Christmas tree on a table so that Brendan-boy wouldn't attempt to eat, pull, drag or climb the tree. This was also the first year that Julia really understood Santa. This made it a lot of fun. We talked about Santa, how he would get into the house. We left cookies and milk for him, and of course we wrote a letter.

Ever since Thanksgiving she's been asking how long until Christmas, so we had been counting down. Each time we asked her what she hoped Santa would bring she replied "the race car movie and a race car and the race car book." This was all in reference to the movie "Cars" which she'd never seen but she likes cars and I think that one of her buddies at school, Tony, has been talking it up.

Christmas morning she woke at around 7. I was not ready to get out of bed and just hoped that I could get her to climb in with us for a bit so that I could sleep more. Ok, selfish, but if she wasn't thinking of Santa and Christmas yet that morning was it really that wrong? My sleepy head told me "no."

So she climbs in with us and I think that this might actually work. It worked. For about 30 seconds. She remembered that we should go and check to see if Santa made it to our house. So we dragged our sleepy selves out to the living room with her and I'm happy to say that we got around in front of her to see that totally excited look on her face! She was so happy! She jumped up and down and just couldn't believe it! Of course she immediately wanted to open something. Brendan was still asleep and since I am not a fan of waking a sleeping babe, he slept while we opened all but his presents.

Here are a few photos from that morning.

One other note, Julia goes to Wizards games with Andy and loves the mascot, G-Wiz. There are a couple of photos of her opening him. While at the game she'll watch a bit of the game itself but really likes to watch G-Wiz. I guess from time to time he'll come out and she'll see him and then he'll go back onto the concourse or somewhere where she can't see him. A lot. So she kept asking Andy where he was going. Andy simplified things by telling her that he was leaving because he has to go potty. It got to the point that he'd leave so much that she'd ask Andy, "again?" Just not imagining that someone could have to go that much!!! So on Christmas she opens G-Wiz and is so excited, and then realizes that she had better check to see if his pants are dry. She's thrilled when they are, and throughout the day would give us updates on G-Wiz and the potty.

She also got her "race car" from the movie. If you click on the 5th photo down you can see how excited she is.

Finally there's a photo of Brendan with the new dish scrubber I got in my stocking, in his mouth (one of his favorite new things to chew on), and playing with the stacker that we've had since before he could remember. :-) Just goes to show that it doesn't always take something with bells and whistles to interest a baby.

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006

No way! It's really the "racecar!?"

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006

Brendan with scrubber in his mouth, playing with the not new stacker.

Christmas 2006

Our tree on the table.

Christmas Eve

We've been having some really nice warm weather. Sunday we decided to head out to a garden near our house where the kids like to run around. It was the first time Brendan wore anything on his feet other than the soft Robeez slippers. He was so proud to have shoes on and reminded me of a horse wearing leg wraps...marching around because of these new, heavier things on his feet.

And He's Off!

Feeling Better!

Julia's been sick for the last 6-7 days. Andy and Brendan have been too. We're finally all getting better and ready to have some holiday fun! Yahoo!

Daddy, You Just Said Butt!

After a busy few weeks I've finally downloaded the photos from our full camera.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving at home. We are very thankful for our family, friends and for everyone's good health.

Since then Julia had strep throat and we've been bribing her with ice cream to drink her medicine. It works well.

One other thing I wanted to record, mostly for me to remember, is that one day we were sitting at the table having breakfast together. Andy was reading an article to me and at one point Julia yelled, "Daddy! You just said butt!" We both turned and looked at her, laughing. So Andy tries very earnestly to explain that there are two meanings of the word and that it's ok if you say it in certain situations in a sentence. Just the way that he'd just read it. He reads it again to her and she says the same thing. So a few days later I'm in the car on the phone talking to a friend. I happened to use the word "but" in a sentence and again Julia got very upset with me. No luck explaining this time either. She must think we have the worst potty mouths! Oh well.

In other news, Brendan loves to be chased. That, and throwing big things, seem to be his favorite activites lately. He is happy to roam around, finding anything that will fit in his mouth and proving to me daily that the house still isn't baby (Brendan) proofed. Will it ever be? Likely no. At least other than the meningitis, we've made it without having to go to the hospital for emergencies.

I just returned from a wonderful vacation with my friend Leslie. We went to New Mexico to visit my parents, brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and newest niece born a week ago today! Oh, and we skied! A big congratulations to Scott, Lia and the girls! Thanks VERY much to to Andy for making it all possible, my parents for providing a great getaway, full of fun conversation, laughs and great food, and to Leslie for making it really fun and memorable. Photos from that trip once I get the disk back. I recommend skiing in New Mexico to anyone and everyone. :-)

Here are a few photos of the kids.

Sometimes He Will Stop and Sit

Sometimes.

The Scooter

I got a three-wheeled scooter for Julia off of Craigslist for $10. I think it might be the best $10 I ever spent. She loooooves her scooter. Brendan loves it too. Here are a few photos of them on the scooter that never stops.

Is it Halloween Yet?

For weeks we've been counting down to Halloween with Julia. She is so excited and happily wears her spider costume whenever the opportunity presents itself. This morning she woke and we told her that it was finally Halloween and she was so happy she gasped! Then on the way to school she kept asking me if it was Halloween yet. She was confused because she thought Halloween was the trick or treating part only. So she kept saying that Halloween would be tonight, after school when it was dark.

I took Julia and Brendan out for trick or treating. She had such a great time and did a great job of saying "Trick or Treat!" and "Thank You!"

One funny thing, we went to our very nice next door neighbors first. She knocked on their door and before they could get there kept saying "Trick or Treat!" but when they opened the door she said "I want some candy." Agh! :-)

The Happiest Spider

The Spider and the Webb

What? There's Something on My Head?

Soapy Boy

Julia has so much fun dressing her brother up in soap suds.

Hello!

I Will Eat You!

Columbus Day at the Zoo

The weather was great, the animals cooperated. It was a good day. Check out the bottom left of the last photo. It's the baby panda.

Corolla 2006

Each year we go to the beach with the Parsons. I'm not sure when we started going together but it started before any of us had kids. So it's been a while. So, each year we go...except last year. AM and I were both too pregnant to go that far. It had been two years since we'd been away and we'll never go that long again without some sort of getaway.

This year we went with the Parsons and Adamsons, which meant that there were 6 adults, 1 toddler and 3 infants. Although the weather wasn't terribly cooperative, because of Hurricane Ernesto making trouble in Bermuda, we still had a really great time. As Andrew put it, "it was a great group to have cabin fever with." The baby boys all seemed to have a good time checking out each other's toys and although at this age they're only suppposed to engage in "parallel play" we did see some interaction amongst the little guys.

It seemed like most of the days were spent fitting in beach time between the many meals and naps but we enjoyed great company, tasty food, spending time at the "seaside" and breathing that ocean air. We all agreed that there's something about that air that made us all sleep better. Except when poor Grant got his ear infection.

That said, we did make several opportunities for each other to swim in the surf, the pool at the house and then hang in the hot tub with drinks when the babes were asleep. Very nice.

Julia loved the "big waves" and the "hot tub pool" where there was a green frog who would hang out underneath the cover. We named him "Frank Frog." Although she couldn't go in too far and always had to hold our hands, because of the rough surf, she is such a beach girl. She loves playing in the water and the sand and at night we would take a flashlight and have fun with the ghost crabs. Andy would pick one up occasionally and we would touch it. Very fun.

Since we have beaches at the lake in our neighborhood it gets confusing to talk to her about the beach and "the beach." One of her favorite books is "The Velveteen Rabbit." In it, the little boy gets sick and goes to "the seaside" to recover. Thus, Corolla to her is the "seaside" and "the beach" is down the street.

Busy Days - Sleepy Nights

Headed Down to the Surf

Beach Time with Daddy

The Three Boys

Here's a photo of the guys at the table. AM is marching in the back, I think with Julia, to a song about marching and dinosaurs. I bet in a few years the boys will be in the same position, playing cards.

Ocean Air - Ocean Hair

Beach Boy

Brendan always wants to move. It doesn't matter that the sand isn't soft and once in a while his knee would land on top of a sharp shell. He would crawl and then eat sand, then crawl more and eat more. I let him for a bit thinking that he'd realize that the sand doesn't taste good. He didn't.

A Nice Figure Eight

I love this photo. It shows his trail. Coming straight from the right, then he did a figure eight, then came towards me and then back to do the figure eight again. I'm not sure if he was following his tracks on purpose but I love how the sun highlights his path.

My Beach Babes