Early December photos

Robin has discovered the fun of sleeping in the Thomas tent he got for Christmas last year.  He would do this every night if we let him (though we've made it into a special weekend-only thing.)

Have you ever been this tired?

Liam's got the Christmas spirit

Liam started solid foods on Dec 1st!!!  The first bite of rice cereal.

He didn't take to this quite as eagerly as I remember Robin doing.

My aunt and cousin came to visit for a weekend.  It was great to see them again.  Audra got to meet Liam (and see Robin for the first time in two years) before she disappears behind a veil of medical school for the next several years.

Aunt Jackie reading to both of my boys

Robin licking the beater when Ama made cookies

Liam really liked Audra's necklace

Happy baby

Robin building with Aunt Jackie

Liam with blonde hair

Three men in a boat, to say nothing of the dog

Avocado face

Even since I started penning this post, Liam has gotten much more enthusiastic about solid foods.  For the last few days, he's even finished everything we've set out for him!  He also tends to suck two fingers--the index and middle of his left hand--between bites.  I wonder if this is because he's used to sucking for his meals, so he's incorporated that into his routine for solids.

Another Robin-ism:  "hamburger" is now "handle-burger"

The holiday season has been somewhat overwhelming for Robin.  He's excited, naturally, but he's been acting out a lot more lately, and getting cranky more easily.  I'm looking forward to seeing him enjoy Christmas, but I'm also looking forward to a return to our (relatively) peaceful lives one the season is over.

Edited to add:  Liam L-O-V-E-S broccoli!
For all previous foods, he hasn't shown much animation.  He sucks his fingers between bites and I (or Dean) usually have to pull them out to give him another spoonful.  Last night, however, he pulled his own hand out of his mouth every time he saw one of us reach for his spoon and gave us a great big smile.

He finished this food fast, and started crying when I put the empty cup out of sight.  Well, far be it from me to deny a request for more veggies, even at this young age!  He fussed as I prepared it because he couldn't eat it NOW, and didn't calm down until he'd had about three more bites, reassuring him that yes, he was getting the good stuff again.  How about that?  Broccoli is a good vegetable to like.

Some November Fun

Liam all scrunched up for sleep

Robin helping Poppa rake - and here comes the leaf monster!!!

I was trying here to capture the bed of stuffed animals and pillows that Robin created for us, but my arm wasn't long enough.

Liam showing off how well he can sit now.  I don't *have* to prop anything behind him anymore, but if he's sitting for a long time he's still apt to topple and I don't want him to bonk his head.  (He no longer cries if this happens on carpet, but hard floors are another matter.)

Liam getting a ride on Dada's shoulders

Robin wanted "up" too.  Hold on Dada!

Liam joining in with the boys!

Measuring both the boys against the polar bear at the zoo

Cotton candy!!!!!

Playing on the sea lion statue

Riding in the wagon at the zoo

Liam sleeping with an arm out of the crib

Liam on the Turkey platter

We were very excited this day, because Robin announced he wanted to drive his car (the pink cushion thing) to the zoo, and he wanted to take Liam there.  He actually wanted to play with his brother!  Of course, we had to get pictures.  Liam loved the attention, and can't wait until he can move on his own and follow his big brother around.

Tummy time together--though Liam seldom gets formal tummy time anymore.  He rolls over and sleeps on his tummy, so he gets plenty of practice.

That's one big reindeer!

Robin has outgrown Teetertots, our library's toddler storytime (*sigh, *sob) and is moving into the preschool storytime.  This was from his last Teetertots session, the week of Thanksgiving.

Doing the Turkey Trot (to the tune of the Hokey Pokey.)  The little girl on the left is one of Robin's friends.

Liam's got a friend at Teetertots too

Getting a hug from Miss Hillary, the Teetertots librarian.  I'm going to miss her--the preschool storytime is run by a different librarian, and Miss Hillary doesn't even work on the preschool days.  *sniff

If I leave Robin alone in the bath, he'll play with everything.  Even the soap.

If we call Robin by a name (like a Wiggleworm or a Monkey, he immediately tells us that no, he isn't that thing.  He is Robin Kid Boy, with sometimes one more Kid tacked onto the end.  This makes me smile.  He's very literal, except when he's the one doing the pretending.

He's also starting to call us Mom and Dad sometimes (instead of Mama and Dada.)  :(  We're fighting this one, but who knows whether we'll get Mama/Mommy and Dada/Daddy to stick again.  He's too young to make this transition, isn't he??  ?????

Liam is teething right now, drooling like a faucet and going back and forth between being in horrible pain and taking it in stride.  You can see Science Fiction Mommy for a post with more details on that.

I expect Liam will probably be gaining independent movement in the near future.  I even went on a nesting/cleaning rampage, where I cleaned all the floors in our house (upstairs anyway) in three days--including edges and areas that we don't get to very often.  We're ready for him (at least until we and Robin mess it up again.)

We're busy getting ready for Christmas.  Hope you all have a great season!

Snow!!!

Here are pics from the several snowfalls we've already had this year.

Liam, bundled up (in the bunting Mom made for Robin, which he stretches ALL the way out) for his first snowfall

He doesn't quite know what to make of it all

Exploring the snow from the warmth and safety of the indoors.  (He still didn't like it much.)

Robin and I, out in the snow.

We made a snow train on this day.  We packed snow into a recycling crate to make the body.

Snow Thomas

Robin painting the snow

Liam in the bunting

The three of us

Robin putting the head on a snowman

Eating said snowman's nose

A pair of snow angels

During the next big storm, we made Quack, Peep, and Chirp from what is becoming Robin's favorite show, "Peep and the Big Wide World."  (See Science Fiction Mommy for a little more detail)

Robin building snowmen with Ama and Poppa (and stabbing them in the back, ai yai yai...)

The strong boy can carry his sled up the hill!

Helping me shovel

Helping Dada shovel  (he had to shovel early on this day, just to find the newspaper)

This is the first time Dada got the chance to see Robin sledding in our backyard

Dada trying the sled himself.  The only problem being that the snow was so cold and powdery, it didn't compress well and therefore wasn't very slick.  This is where Dean stopped moving.

I'm loving how much Robin enjoys the snow this year.  We've reached the magical age where fun trumps being cold, for a little while at least.  I'm looking forward to a season with more snowfalls--provided everyone stays safe on the roads, of course!