Saturday, January 8, 2011

Cousins

The day after Christmas, we drove up to see my brother, his wife and their twins. We had a great time and as usual, the kids played great together.

They had a little slide which Christopher enjoyed.
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Emmy has her own special technique
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Christopher cheering on Emmy
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Christopher brought out his laptop to show Emmy and Cole
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Who immediately loved it
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I made Beef Wellington for dinner that night.
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MMMM
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It kinda separated, just means I'll need to try again... on a smaller scale

But it tasted perfect...
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And everyone seemed be enjoying themselves
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The next morning, we just hung out.
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Breakfast...
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Timmy made pasta for dinner. Doesn't he look great in that apron?
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Then he took a "break" and hung out with the kids
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All in all, we had a great time. The kids all played so well together. It really is great they are all so close in age, three kids 7 months apart. We are already looking forward to our next trip up there :)

Friday, January 7, 2011

Christmas 2010

Christmas was absolutely wonderful this year. Christopher has just been enamored with the whole thing. From the "bubbles" (translated- Xmas Lights) to "Frosty" he loves it. What is great about Christmas with a 2 year old is that all of his "joy" of Christmas is just pure joy. It's not about the food or the gifts, it's just about the lights, the songs, the weather and the season. He has no presumptions about what will be under the tree Christmas morning, he isn't expecting anything, just that we turn the tree on for him when he wakes up "Mama, tree on please". That he gets to point out his favorite Santa ornament to Pop Pop when he comes over and gets to show Grandma the nativity and Santa in his play area. He likes for the Christmas lights to be on in the house, on the mantle and the tree. He just likes Christmas for what it was meant to be. It's been taking whoever picks him up from daycare a little longer to get home since we take him around a street or two with lights before heading home. We are usually pulling into the driveways with Christopher serenading us with his ever improving version of "Frosty the Snowman". I think if I had one wish from this Christmas is to remember it like my son did.

My parents came over Christmas Eve as is our usual tradition.
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Oh, and did I mention that Christopher ABSOLUTELY loves his Santa hat? He'll wear it forever!

We did dinner for Christopher while the adults ate some appetizers, then we bundled up to go out to look at lights.
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This face, right here, I love it. I don't think his smile could get any bigger.
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Ok, really bad video on the "visual" part since well, you can't see anything. But great on the "sound" part. Listen for Christopher's little voice. He sings it, then loves the "hey!" part

A little better, but not by much

Then we went home, Christopher went to bed and the adult had dinner and put presents out for the next morning for him.

I apologize in advance for some blurry photos, he's a two year old... moving, fast.
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He was great with the presents, loved unwrapping them, stopping when we wanted to and very patient (I'm sure this will be the last year that happens).

He started with his new chair from Grandma and Pop Pop
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Which he loved
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Daddy helped him with his gifts.
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Waiting very patiently for daddy to open his new train
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Sitting and waiting for his next present.
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His new easel from Mommy and Daddy
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And he got a tricycle from mommy and daddy
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We will have to wait till it warms up just a bit

And he got a helmet to go with the tricycle. He loved it, wanted to wear it right away... his new "hat".
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It's a 3T helmet and almost too small.

And then insisted on playing basketball in it with his new hoop he got from Grandma and Grandpa Wing. So cute
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He loves his basketball hoop.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Frosty the Snowman...

So, after this holiday season, Frosty might be taking a restraining order out on my son. I mean the kid is obsessed! We can't drive away from daycare without him seeing the blown-up frosty across the street and yelling "Frosty! Mama, Frosty! Look, Frosty!", like he wasn't there every day for the last few weeks since Thanksgiving. Then into the chorus of Frosty the snowman... on and on and on. He received as a gift a Frosty the Snowman toy. Not just a toy, a singing toy.

I always tend to get him on the second go around and he isn't as into it. But his smile says it all


Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Our 2010 Christmas Tree

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I loved it! David loved it! Christopher adored it! "Mama, Tree on please" EACH time we'd go into the living room and each morning he woke up.

The living room mantle
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The other mantle
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and our "other tree" in that room. It's our fake from when we lived in an apartment.
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Happy (Belated) Holidays

Limoncello

David and I decided to do something "homemade" for gifts this year for some our friends and family. We started in in September when we got back from Michigan...

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LIMONCELLO!!!

Oh my lemony goodness!
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Lemons from our tree, Vodka from bottles and some simple syrup.... oh my!
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mmmm.... worth the effort and the wait.