If Your Present Was A Little Wrinkled...

...Ian probably helped wrap it. Ian loves wrapping paper, tissue paper, tape, gift tag labels, etc. If it is used to be wrapped, he wants a piece of the action!

Let me just show you what happens to your present. Ian helped wrap Daddy's 2008 DCA (Drum Corps Assocation) Finals DVD and here is how it went:

1). Ian decided slobber was better than tape and made sure every corner was super wet so the paper would stick.

2). He then decided that he should reopen one side to make sure the gift was still in there.

3). After I assured him it still was in there, we taped it back up. Ian helped put the bow on, but not before he had thoroughly taste tested the bow. Good news, Daddy! The bow passed inspection.


4). Ian even helped write on the tag. Here's the finished product. If you look carefully, you can see all the wrinkles.

5). Here's a close up of the tag - proof he helped. :-)

What a big boy we have! His motor skills continue to amaze us. It's so much fun watching him learn and grow.

Christmas Night at Nana's

Christmas evening was Christmas #4 at Nana's house. She only lives ten minutes away, so it's an easy drive to get there.

When we arrived, this is the first thing we saw. Uncle Kenny had built a snowman! (It has melted into a snow blob, but we still thought it was cute all covered in lights.)

Nana had set a great looking table with her new Fiestaware.

Some of the food. We had yummy lasagna, salad, and homemade crescent rolls.

And homemade apple pie!!! Yum, yum!

Nana's pretty mantle.

Nana fed Ian lima beans - he loved them! Takes after his Daddy!

Nana and Ian looking cute!

Uncle Kenny showed us how to use the burst feature on our new camera and we caught Nana dancing with Ian.

And then swinging him!

Up, up, and away!

What goes up must come down.

Uncle Kenny taking a picture with camera through a glass of water.

Our little family. Ian wouldn't stop looking at the vaulted ceilings long enough to look at the camera.

Another cute pix of Nana and Ian.

Opening our present from Uncle Kenny. This was probably the most normally wrapped present I have ever gotten from him (usually my presents are hidden under layers of tape and multiple boxes).

Ian opening one of his presents from Nana.

Yay! A ball that rolls on its own. He'll have fun chasing that!

Uncle Kenny got a diaper from us. Can you tell how thrilled he was? It took us ten minutes to convince him to look inside (where there was money hidden). We tried telling him it was worth his while, but he just didn't believe us.

Ian helping Nana open her gift.

Whee! So much fun to tear the paper.

Bath time!

Nana got Ian to sit in the crawling position. She called it "stacking" and said that's how you train dogs for show. But, she held Ian up until he pulled his knees under him and then set him on this knees and he put his hands down on his own. She'll have him crawling in a week!

Playing Uno Stackers. Can't believe how high James and Kenny got it! Kenny looks a bit smug - for some reason, he thinks he is about to win.

Lo and behold, he was right! (Notice he looks even more smug in this picture.)

And a final Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Christmas Morning - Home for the Holidays!

With so many schedules to coordinate, we were actually fortunate to be able to be home on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning to start our own family traditions. It is actually a blessing we had Christmas early with James' side of the family. The snow was enough to deter many travelers, and we might have been among those stranded or delayed.

As it was, we had a nice, very uneventful Christmas morning. Ian had not slept as well that night - perhaps too excited? - so James and I took turns napping Christmas morning. (Yes, yes, I know. We're turning into a bunch of old fogeys!) After Ian's first nap of the day, we ventured out into the snow once more before it all melted and came back to open presents.

Mommy and Ian in front of the tree.

Our little elf!

Lots of presents!

Daddy wrote Mommy a nice poem: "The wrapping is black; The bow is blue. Coffee is hot, And so are you!" Wasn't that sweet?

And inside was a beautiful jewelry armoire! I have been wanting one for a long time and James totally surprised me! I love it - more so than any of the other ones I have seen.

Deciding which present to open first.

Oh boy! Ian is sitting on the stack of presents from Mommy and Daddy.

Trying to climb them!

He's reading the back of the packing to his foam bath letters. ;-)

What could this one be?

The wrapping is so much more fun than the present! Ian loves to pull of the paper and then pull the paper apart into two pieces. (In case you can't see, this present is a hard back book of Bible stories.)

Having fun with the big present!

Reaching for more paper!

Haha - trying to tear the paper in two again.

I love this one!

Woo-hoo! An Alphabet Train! Looks like fun!

Watching Daddy put it together.

Thank you, Daddy!

Mommy and her presents.

Daddy and his presents.

Having fun afterwards with new toys and enjoying the mess!

Merry Christmas!