Christmas out west

We had a good time in Arizona celebrating Christmas with Mimi & Grandad.

Zachary was a good "helper" to Mimi as she wonderfully hosted a house full of people!

He loved playing with his 2nd cousins...and they got him going down the steps without holding the railing! It was super cute to watch him try new things like the "big boys."

Due to the 2 hour time change, Zachary was awake every morning between 5 & 6am. So our portable DVD player came in handy while we waited for the sun to rise!

Mimi had a beautiful table for Christmas lunch and the food was awesome!!

Zachary ate SO much. Notice his bib?

Zachary opening his stocking...

...and some new blocks...

...and his first pair of Nike Jordans from Uncle Jas ("Unky-ss" in Zacharese)!!

Grandad got a kick out of all the words Zachary can say. At each page in his books, Grandad would say, "He won't know this animal..." and sure enough, Zachary did! Grandad was especially surprised when Zachary knew Kangaroo and Katydid.

Another example of Zachary following the "big boys" - He went down the BIG slide at the park! It was so funny because he was super cautious, but determined to do it.

OH...one more thing. The oranges ("orsh" in Zacharese)...Mimi had a bag full of oranges in her pantry and Zachary found them to be quite interesting. They were the most-played-with "toy." And, much to Daddy's dismay, Zachary would fill this handbag full of "orshes" and walk around with it hanging from his shoulder.

...They were also great for rolling and playing catch.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and your families!

Smart Little Fella

Zachary has started grasping some more advanced concepts - and we've enjoyed playing these kinds of thinking games with him. (It's also much easier on me...versus piggy back rides and playing chase!!)
Game #1: Miniature puzzles. These are 2 & 3 piece puzzles.

If we mix them up (as below), we can say, "Zachary, which pieces will make the alligator?" or "Which ones are the monkey pieces?" And he will gather the correct pieces and attempt to put them together. He isn't quite able to put them exactly together (as above), but he does recognize which ones go together, based on their colors & shapes.

Game #2: "Match" (a down-scaled version of the game "Memory"). We will put 4-6 pieces in a grouping (below - on the right), and then give him 1 piece (below - left) and say, "Which one matches this one?" And he will get it right. Another version of this game - We'll put 4-5 pieces down and ask him questions about the character's features, "Which person is wearing glasses?" or "Which person isn't wearing a hat?" And he's just started being able to decipher between (and say) "girl" or "boy."

Other times, he'll just throw all the puzzles and pieces on the floor and dance around on them.

Ready for Christmas

We finally decorated the Christmas tree! We've made it difficult for Zachary to reach (It's actually ON the fireplace with the coffee table in front of it!), and that has proven to be a wise decision. However, he does throw things in it. Somewhere in this tiny tree is a pacifier and a pair of Mr. Potato Head eyes.

We set up part of the Nativity scene (AKA: "baby & horsey" in Zacharese) on the dining room table. I was explaining it to Zach and I said that it was baby Jesus with Mary & Joseph. He thought about it for a second and then he pointed at Mary & Joseph and asked, "Daddy & Mommy?" That was so sweet.

Stellar Suggestions

Today, in one of my therapy groups at school, (I'm the leader...not a participant...thank you, Dad.) my kids decided to give me some suggestions for our baby's name (still undecided!). Here are some of their ideas:

Betho
Miranda
Harmony
Amory
Justine
Tu-Pac

B-O-Y

The other day, we were getting haircuts, and Zachary was digging through the toybox in the salon's little playroom. Todd was so proud when Zachary shoved three Barbies aside and dug to the bottom of the box for the truck.

Z Loves Leaves

Zachary wants to play "aht-tee" ("outside" in Zacharese) in the "gass" ("grass" AKA: the front yard) ALL the time. Here are some pictures of him playing in the leaves. (No cracks on the goofy hat, please...it's extremely practical and he can't take it off.)

Oops - got some leaf in my mouth.

In these two pictures, we've buried his legs with leaves. He gets all excited when he finds his feet. Notice how big his feet are (below). He's been wearing a size 7.5 for almost 2 months now.

Getting into the spirit?

Life is full of unmet expectations - isn't it? However, sometimes in these moments, if we can appreciate the humor in our own unrealistic expectations, our perspective can change.
Expectation #1: Fun-filled family day at Christmas Tree Farm
Reality #1: Grumpy toddler not ready to appreciate a farm of trees

Expectation #2: Fun-filled petting zoo at the Christmas Tree Farm
Reality #2: 1 Overfed billy goat who wouldn't get close to the fence...

...and 1 disappointed toddler who ate the billy goat's bread

Expectation #3: A casual & festive walk through the Christmas Tree Farm as we looked for the bright heavenly lights that would shine over that one "perfect" Christmas tree

Reality #3: A few terrifying moments where we thought we lost our toddler in a maze of trees.

Expectation #4: A sweet and cuddly Santa photo-op

Reality #4: A freaky Santa who kept pointing at the camera (doesn't he know he's supposed to sit still and just smile for the camera?!)

Besides creating some funny memories, I'm reminded that none of this is what we are celebrating. And I'm grateful for the humorous life lesson! (p.s. That "perfect" Christmas tree still stands undecorated...9 days later)

"Brief" Update

(HA! I couldn't resist using the play on words in the title...You'll know what I mean when you're finished reading today's entry). Todd & I have started some casual potty-training conversations with Zachary, but nothing official. While he has given many indications that he's ready, we weren't going to pursue it until late spring due to some traveling and the new baby. However, as usual, Zachary has his own time line!
Since Sunday, he's asked to go "pee pee" on the potty twice and both times has been successful!! Luckily, we had some "special treats" (Smarties candy!) for him and it has been so funny to watch how excited he gets.
The hilarious part of this new process has been the "big boy undies." At first, he was uncertain about wearing them and tried to get them off. We decided he needed some encouragement. At this point, I won't divulge too much information, but I will say that it wasn't mommy who demonstrated the comfort of wearing "big boy undies!" Once he realized that daddy wears "big boy undies," Zachary was thrilled to dance around in his own BVDs! We've had some good laughs!
Anyway, we're ready for the slower-paced potty-training process since there will be a lot of change over the next few months. But, it's cute to see him (again) proving his independence!!

Zach in the box

Most of our veteran parent-friends say that a box is the most popular non-toy entertainment for a toddler. One of Zachary's Christmas presents from Mimi & Grandad arrived this week (pictures to come soon) in this giant box. Zachary has had the best time! He's like a little hobo. He'll bring his blankies, paci and bear inside, fold the flaps closed...and just hang out!

Pots & Pans

Zachary has discovered a new favorite game. There are so many different parts to the game of "Pots & Pans!"
First, there's the unloading.

Second, assessing & organizing space.

Third, the excitement of having unloaded everything.

Fourth, putting the pans in a circle and dancing in the middle - very exciting.

Fifth, stacking pots & pans is very noisy (notice his eyes...he's anticipating the "crash" sound!)

Last, the complexity of reloading the pots & pans into the cabinet.

Whew...what an exhilarating game!

Trip to Bethlehem

Zachary participated in a Christmas "Trip to Bethlehem" at his preschool today. Each child was assigned to be a "wise man" or a "shepherd." They made and wore a headpiece to reflect their role. Zachary was a wise man and wore his little crown. Then they "journeyed" through Bethlehem and visited many little "shops" (carpentry, baking, etc...), they went "fishing," and helped bring water from the "well." Later, they gave their "offerings" as gifts to baby Jesus. When giving his "offering," Zachary was not as reverent as the teachers had hoped, and he threw his coin satchel into the basket as if it was a free throw. We couldn't believe he made that shot! It was pretty funny.