Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

After spending a lazy morning in our jammies, playing with my woo woo train and eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, we headed over to Ho-Ho Papa and Umma's house. Daddy finished kitchen projects, Mommy and Umma went shopping at Target so Umma would have new dishes for the new kitchen, and I had all afternoon to play with my Ho-Ho Papa. Oh, it was lovely and the best part was I didn't even take a nap!

We went out to dinner at an Italian place with Ho-Ho Papa and Umma. Now, I never really get to go out to dinner because well, I'm not known for sitting down or being quiet in public places.

*all pictures taken with the cell phone so excuse the poor quality!

As it turns out, my behavior tonight was no different. Since I hadn't napped, I wasn't exactly making the best choices at the restaurant and earned myself a timeout. When I came back, before Mommy's very eyes , I laid down in the booth, laid my head on Daddy's lap, and fell fast asleep (Mommy has never seen me fall asleep outside of my crib or carseat).

After a bit, I even slept so soundly that Daddy was able to run his fingers through my hair.

Now I'm watching Polar Express with Mommy and I bet I'll be up until midnight and to ring in 2010 after all!

Happy New Year!!

Some Things Never Change

You would think time would have improved his memory.

Eleven months old

Just a few days ago.

Daddy's Hero.

(a post by daddy) So, if you know me, you know I like comicbook heroes. Today I met a real hero.

I come back from the bathroom and start playing with trains with Alex. (Yes. That part was important - and yes - I DID wash my hands).

Suddenly I hear water running...

I go into the bathroom and sure enough. The toilet is a waterfall. I reach down to turn off the valve under the toilet and realize something horrid... It's stuck against the water line. A stream of profanities is probably escaping daddy's mouth at this point. So I pull the top of the tank off and pull up on the float and it stops the torrent of water. I reach down to turn off the feed line again, and it definitely won't move.

My sweatpants are starting to get cold and very wet from the water on the floor. Suddenly Alex pops his head into the room. He walks in a ways, and slides on the wet floor getting his sweats soaked as well. "I slipped dada!" he said with a bit of confusion.

I look to my son and think... "He's nearly three, and not totally stupid... He might have his mother's grace and ability to state the obvious... who am I kidding... I'm stuck at this toilet or I need to go outside and turn off all the water or race upstairs and get the plunger.."

I throw caution to the wind, "Alex, can you go upstairs and get the toilet plunger. It's red and black and next to the toilet upstiars."

He stands up, takes 3 steps into the hallway and his wet feet slip out from under him again. "I slipped!" he giggles. I have visions of the toilet brush, mommy's comb or 15,000 other things appearing when he gets back from playing under the bedspread and watching a little tv.

But amazingly, he appears nearly a minute later holding the disgusting end of the plunger in his hands (I washed his hands after this.)

He takes three steps into the bathroom to hand it to me and slips in the water and gets even wetter.

Three plunges later the toilet drains and we use all the towels to wipe up all the water. Then we change our clothes and go back to the important stuff... playing with trains.

What a Difference a Trip to Ikea Makes

From this

To this.

Christmas Recap

Christmas Eve morning is pretty low key with us. After naptime, we head up to Grandma Great's house.

Christmas Eve has been at Grandma's house since Mommy can remember.

This year, Grandma Great waited for two little elves to decorate her tree.

Uncle RJ gave Alexander a lift to decorate the top of the tree.

After decorating the tree, we ate a delicious prime rib, corn souffle, broccoli casserole, and mashed potatoes. Once dishes were done, we dove into the gift giving. While dishes were being washed, Alexander found this barking dog.

He doesn't like dogs so the very fact that he enjoyed playing with this toy was hilarious to us. After a bit of time, he and his cousin Lorelli ended up hanging out with Ho-Ho Papa.

We start in the front room with stockings and move into the back room for the white elephant exchange.

Thankfully, Umma gave a few gifts to keep Alexander occupied during the exchange.

Christmas morning found us chasing a toddler into the living room as he yelled, "WOOWOO TRACK". As he opened each gift, he would look at us and say, "woo woo track now?" Finally, he opened his last gift - a GeoTrax train system.

And hasn't stopped playing with it since.

A few hours later, we headed over to Ho-Ho Papa and Umma's house for more family time.
It was a whirlwind of wrapping paper, flying monkeys, a princess in pajamas, and a toddler screaming, "more woowoo track".

Like most of society, the economy has impacted our family and we all cut back. Instead of worrying about how much money was spent, we each took time to find presents with meaning. From wedding pictures to a Star Trek phaser, the gifts had extra meaning this year because each purchase was made with the thought of how it would be received, rather than whether it would be enough.

Alexander's gift to Ho-Ho Papa was no different. Ho-Ho Papa has announced football for the local high school for 21 years and we suspect this year will be his last. He would never allow a ceremony to mark his retirement, so Mommy worked a little Christmas magic. She asked the coaches to have a helmet signed by the entire team (who placed second in state this year) and even in the midst of the playoff run, the team came through for her.


Do you think Ho-Ho Papa liked it?




Someone else certainly did!

It definitely was a Christmas to remember.

Happy Holidays

Phew! What a busy 48 hours. We're winding down from all the fun, surrounded by new toys with bellies full of tasty treats. A post with all the details will arrive in the next few days.

For now, here are a few photos of us from Christmas Past.

Christmas 2006

2 weeks before Alexander was born
Daddy was very excited and Mommy was VERY ready for Alexander to arrive.

Christmas 2007

Alexander (11mos) and Grandma Great

Christmas 2008

Alexander (23mos) looked ADORABLE in this sweater vest!

Christmas 2009

Happy Holidays!!

WooWoo Train!

An early Christmas present arrived at our home today.

And this little guy hasn't stopped watching it go round and round, under the tree!!


Thanks to today's Secret Santa, for the hours of WooWoo Train fun!

Thank You Secret Santa

Alexander and I participate in a gift exchange occurs every year between the women from the birth board I joined in '06. Many of us have remained in close contact three years later and have a gift exchange for the holidays. This year, we enjoyed buying gifts for a sweet three year old girl and waited to see who drew Alexander's name.

Earlier this week, Alexander's Secret Santa gift arrived. And it was absolutely perfect. Deb and Erin Rianna found personalized gifts that Alexander absolutely adores.

The gift awaits for Alexander to wake up and open it

Opening the gifts

Woo-Woo!
A personalized train book for Alexander

Someone insisted Mommy immediately read it...three times in a row.

Hanging a personalized train ornament on the tree

Thank you, Secret Santa!!

You Go. We Go.

In three years, we've managed to avoid all of us being sick at the same time.

All good things must come to an end.

Like Father, Like Son

One of Eric's amazing talents and not-used-near-enough-in-our-son's-childhood hobbies is photography. The man can take pictures. He has snapped beautiful photographs at friends weddings. Gorgeous landscaping and scenery photos that hang on the walls of our home. But, like I said, he hasn't taken near enough of Alexander (blames it on too much equipment to lug around, ,moving target, blah, blah, blah). So I settle with photos taken with my point and shoot. I wish I was better at photography. I wish I was better with photoshop. Heck, I wish I was better at convincing Alexander to sit still for photos. But, for now, I'll settle for capturing the moment.

It seems as though our young son is striving to follow in his father's footsteps in more ways than one. He picked up my camera tonight and a photo monster was born! He must have spent an hour, saying "cheese" and clicking away. When we looked through the 80+ photos*, it was clear that a three year old views the world much differently than his parents...

*no pictures have been photoshoped since Alexander's assistant really doesn't know how to use the program.(Our Christmas stockings hang on the wall because we don't have a mantle.
Despite the lack of a fireplace, Santa hasn't let us down yet.)

They say a mother's love is blind and clearly, I'm not photography expert...but I think the kid did a pretty good job!

Where is Warehouse Mouse?

If you know the answer, you've probably watched Disney's Imagination Movers. Last night, Mommy took Alexander to see the Movers. LIVE.

Daddy took a few pictures of us before we left. These are the best in the bunch.

We joined Mika and Evan and settled into our nosebleed section balcony seats. We soon found ourselves surrounded by parents, grandparents, and little people, ages newborn to four or five. Clearly, we weren't the only one willing to search for warehouse mouse.

It was amazing to watch an always moving toddler sit still to "watch my tv show". He sat on his seat. He sat on my lap. He sat. Eventually, it became too much and Alexander finally sat on my lap with his ears covered for the remainder of the show.

"Too oud, Mama. Too oud".


At first, Evan wasn't too sure he was ready for the large, loud crowd so he cuddled with his mommy, with just his eyes peaking out. By the end of the show, two toddlers were enthralled with the show (and Mika sure looks excited too, eh?).

I think he and his little pal Evan enjoyed the show!
And the mommies enjoyed being with our little men!
Thanks for the fun afternoon, Mika and Evan!