Preparing for Christmas

I love tree decorating day!

Owen hanging one out of Jack's reach.

Jack watching and learning our family traditions.

He was enamored with all the lights on the tree!

Owen hanging a homemade ornament.

Every year I like to get a pic of the kids.  This year was a little more difficult with a squirmy, climb-y one year old!  Our attempt went something like this:

Jack buns

Look at me!  I'm so sneaky!

Hanging onto Owen's hair for balance.

Actually, Owen's head is more stable.

Somehow picture-taking turned into a
game of peek-a-boo! (M)

Safe to say we all had fun trying to get a picture! (O)

Got it! (O, M)

Safe to say we all had fun trying to get the picture!

Owen topping the tree.  Mason got to plug it in.

Jack finds shredding tissue paper more entertaining.

Jack found the ladder!  Owen is there
to make sure he doesn't fall.

Not sure who's giving who a ride. (M)

Owen had to try too.

The dog kept pestering Aaron.  We finally realized he wanted to be held
(VERY odd for this dog).  Jack also wanted to be held. Had to get a picture!

Jack squatting over a toilet basket playing with his Nativity set.

Cute Mason!  He's getting so big, but still so sweet and cuddly!

Jack found a seat and a bag of goldfish, to which he helped himself.
Since when do 1 year olds know how to open a ziplock?

Obsessed with the shopping cart! 

I'm cute in my Santa hat (that was my brothers' on their 1st Christmas)!

One day we picked Numna up at her new place and had her over for several hours. She really enjoyed seeing the kids, they just bring her so much JOY! I am so glad my children will be able to say they knew her!  

Owen riding the horse Numna gave the boys for Christmas
when they were 18 months old.

Owen lovin' on Numna.

This is such a neat picture of Numna with Jack on the horse she bought.

He really got going on his horse.  Usually, he will click his tongue every time 

he rides it to imitate the hooves.

I don't know if it's her dementia or her genuine LOVE of kids, but she gets SO tickled every time Jack dances.  He was pushing this button that made the dog play music and shake his ears around. As usual, when Jack hears music, he dances.  And it's extra cute with his Santa diaper!

Hanging out in one of his favorite spots - Numna's lap.
She mesmerizes him!  He sees her in person (and in pictures)
and calls her by name.  (Nuh-nuh)

After he got fully dressed he came back for
more lap time and a Christmas book.

Numna and Mason

Owen with a sly grin on his face.  Check out the top of Numna's hair.
(he snuck a finger puppet up there)

Okay, now one with no puppet!

Adorable and priceless!!

One of my favorite pictures of all time!! (O, M)

Mason's class Cat in the Hat (he came to visit us for a week) hanging out
with Elvis the Elf.

Waiting, watching, for the gingerbread to be done!

15 Months

Oh my gosh, this kid!  I think he's going to be the entertainer of the family!  He loves initiating games that make people laugh or cheer for him.  He will even fake burp if you chuckle or draw attention to his real burp.  He is such a ham lately!

At fifteen months, Jack:

• weighs 22 lbs. 7 oz. (20%) and is 31.5" tall (57%).
• makes SURE he is a participant in the world, not just an observer!
• "speaks" sentences with such expression in his face/gestures and conviction in his voice that I'm convinced he knows exactly what he's trying to say even though it sounds like Mandarin.
• can climb the big kids ladder AND climbs up the slide without help!  
• found out he can get on the coffee table and does so on a daily basis.
• thinks the Roomba is his new toy and immediately goes and turns it back on if you try to turn it off.
• will throw a fit if he sees Owen and Mason go outside and he can't go.  The boy HAS to be outside.  I don't remember Owen and Mason being SOO into it.
• has started diving for his bed at night despite his normal routine of snuggling for a few minutes before laying down.  I guess he's just THAT tired.
• normally goes to bed in the 7:00 hour.
• naps twice a day. 
• eats as much (and sometimes more depending on the meal) than the big kids.  It is just about impossible for me to believe this kid is only the 20% for weight (lower on some depending on the chart used)!!
• has not sprouted any new teeth.  We're still rockin' a very adorable 6-toothed smile.
• has to get tubes put in his ears in January.
• has finally mastered walking.  He started really going around 14.5 months, with his first 4 steps being on his 14 month birthday.
• is building quite the vocabulary but it is still hard to decipher.  Some of the things he says are:
• bottle (baba) We've switched to sippy cups, but he still says 'baba.'
• puppy (he says this clear as day)
• kitty (kee)
• Jaxson (not exactly sure how he says this one but it's the same 2 syllables every time)
• bath (ba)
• outside (sigh) *infrequent
• Numna (Nuhna)
• Granddaddy (andada)
• Dada 
• hi (clear as day and usually with a great big wave)
• bye (clear as day but with a little umph behind it to make sure everyone knows its time to go)
• ball (bah)
• I want banana (Iwanana)
• I want bottle (Iwanbaba)
• light (ight)
• Mama
• book (as he brings you a book)
• button (bu-mmm)
• night night (nigh nigh as he grabs his blankie and lays on it)
• poo poo *infrequent
• uh-oh (usually said before he drops something to the ground)
• Jack (dat) *haven't heard this one too much, may have been a fluke
• rock (says 'ock' and points at the pavement, rock, etc)
• moon (moong)
• knows where his belly button is.
• understands simple phrases like "let's go take a bath," "let's go outside/bye bye" and demonstrates his understanding by going or doing whatever the action is.
• likes to bring people their shoes.  Actually, he has no idea who's shoes belong to who so he just brings you any shoes.
• gets a huge grin when he spots the moon after being asked where it is.  
• loves sitting in Mommy's lap and watching videos of himself or his brothers on the phone.
• has made it his mission in life to shut all of our doors even if it means closing himself in the room.
• has discovered the joy of "I'm gonna get you" by walking around and around our kitchen/living room wall, all while squealing and looking over his shoulder.
• thinks the world looks cool if he bends over and looks between his legs upside down.  He chooses to do this at very random times which make for some pretty funny moments.
• enjoys making up games like "fall down on purpose" and "say uh-oh as I step off the hearth slab."
• turns his riding toys on their side so he can spin the wheels (and if he could, he'd flip real cars on their sides too!)!
• climbs up and down stairs like he's been doing it for years.
• still has a 'thing' for Granddaddy.
• has some sort of magnetic opposition to the direction we want him to walk.  He turns right back around if you redirect him.  You pretty much have to pick him up, spin in a circle or two so he loses his bearings, and set him back down the way you want him to go.
• LOVES being read to.  He will bring you books and climb up in your lap.
• adores Numna and will sit with her and listen to her talk to him for a long time.
• can't help but dance when he hears music.  He also has to click his tongue to the beat.
• plays independently pretty well.  
• is OBSESSED with things he can push.  He loves Owen and Mason's toy shopping carts and happily crashes them into our walls.  He loves to help me push the stroller when we're out and we have to hide Numna's walker if you hope to get his attention.  He has also been known to ditch the stroller and make a b-line for a stranger's shopping cart and take over for them.
• has an unusually long attention span when it comes to matchbox cars.  He loves tinkering with the wheels.
• has a devilish twinkle in his eye and an expression in his brow that can probably be attributed to his Uncle Kyle!

A Christmas-y Saturday

Breakfast with Santa at the kids' school

Before Aaron headed to his last half day of class for the semester, we went to the kids' school to see Santa (#1 of 2 that day) and eat some (cold) donuts.  Mmmmm!

Oh look, a jingle bell.  Jack will enjoy it.  Let's let him play with it.
He's old enough not to put it in his mouth, right?

We're good parents, I swear.

With Santa's helpers.

Santa's Cookie Shop at Rough Hollow

Granna and Granddaddy's neighborhood put on a wonderful little party for the kids one Saturday.  They had cookie decorating, ornament making, yummy treats (the kids first encounter with a chocolate fountain), a bunch of Owen and Mason's friends were there, as was Santa (the REAL Santa).  He brought each kid an individually wrapped gift with their name on it.  Jack got a fun little bath toy, and both big kids got a pack of matchbox cars.  They were SO blown away because Santa knew exactly what they'd like!  It was awesome and it may have bought me a couple extra years of believing!  Thanks, Santa!

Strawberry on a stick

Checking out the lake below

Owen and his red icing!

Mason adding some blue sprinkles

Helping Owen add buttons to his gingerbread man (read: more icing!  he is my son!)

Mason and his finished cookie, and a leeetle extra sprinkles!

Owen and lots of extra icing!

Jack, new at walking!

So serious!

Making an ornament with Mason

Owen, proud of his ornament

Mason and his finished ornament

This year's Santa picture (M, J, O)

Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting

After Aaron was done with school for the day, we joined back up with him to walk over to the Capitol for the tree lighting.  It was pretty fun seeing the Capitol up close and explaining to the kids what it's for.  We had fun singing carols (especially Feliz Navidad), watching the lights dance to the music, and seeing all the crazy bikes from the Austin Bike Zoo.  After the tree was lit, we strolled down Congress and ate dinner at the Driskill Hotel.  Yum!

Waiting to ride the funny reindeer/sleigh bike contraption.

Our turn

Obsessed with lights!

Driskill dinner (O)

Mason and Mommy at dinner

We saw a pedi-cab with a big Darth Vader, complete with working light saber, on the back. After we took this picture the Imperial March played loudly as the driver peddled away.  It. Was. AWESOME!  We should have ridden just for fun!

Owen in the weird, long, rattlesnake bike.

Mason in the rattlesnake.

Getting eaten by the snake!

Sledding down the hill at the capitol.

We also got a tour of Aaron's school building and classroom. Here are the boys sitting where Daddy sists during class. They were kind of shocked at how boring Daddy's classroom looks compared to theirs!

By the end of the day, we were all wiped out!  It was good family time though!