After Christmas Toy Bliss

Let it snow... Let it snow... Let it snow!

It snowed Christmas night and I don't think it stopped until 24 hrs later. All day Sunday it snowed. The snow was beautiful! Gabriel was so excited!!! We went out while it was still falling. Poor Izzy wasn't allowed to come out and play. Gabriel was all over the snow and didn't want to go back in the house when it was time. A few hours after we did came in, our tracks and snow angels were gone. Covered once again with fresh fallen snow.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!!!
Gabriel wanted to open this gift for over a week! The Thomas the train wrapping paper didn't help with keeping his hands off the gift. He managed to "peek" inside a few days earlier when he tore the wrapping paper. So no surprise that it was the very first thing he wanted to open! Of course, there was a Thomas inside from his Godparents, the Spencers.
Izzy had a little help with her Christmas gifts this year. She seemed to like the plastic packaging and the wrapping paper a little more then the actual gifts.
Just a little visual of the aftermath of opening all the presents.
This is what Santa brought Gabriel for Christmas. Auntie Mamiko had the patience to sit and put it together. Over 100 pieces of Lego Mega Bloks. Being Gabriel, it didn't stay like this for very long...

Christmastown at Busch Gardens

The kids were all bundled up in the cold weather. Gramma had bought Gabriel a treat so he didn't bother to look at me when I took the photo. Priorities folks.

Busy Gabriel @ school.

...sorry it's sideways

Early Merry Christmas

Gabriel finally went poop in the toilet like a big boy!!! I promised him his "Mega blocks Thomas" if he went poop in the toilet. 10 days later and seeing his promised toy, he went. We clapped and said "YEAH!" He smiled and nodded "yes" to doing it again tomorrow. We will see.
Gabriel playing with the finished product. He is so happy and asked if Izzy wanted to play with his Thomas. When I said "no", he asked me "why?"
Not sure how long this set up will last! until then...Celebrate!

It snowed before going to see Christmas!

Gabriel wanted to go out and play in the snow so bad. We got dressed, all geared up and Gabriel got his Thomas and friends only to find out there really wasn't much snow to play with. He wanted to play with is trains like he did last year with the big snow storm. He was disappointed, but was a trooper when he surprisingly stood there when I asked for a few photos of him.
Gramma knows what this was about. The DRAMA! He was being bad and when he realized it wasn't Mommy, but Gramma that swatted his butt...well! He was kneeling and in slow motion, yes, slow motion, he slowly fell into this position. Afterwards, he got up and walked over, backwards to the coffee shop's accoutrement table and stood there with is butt protected in the corner. I think I am going to have a special post for all to see and enjoy. Gramma and I had a great laugh.
Gabriel was so happy and excited to see the trains running at the Coleman's nursery Christmas sampling that he let me take a few photos of him "cheese-ing". You can just see how happy he was from the look on his face.

Finally, Izzy! She is all about the trains and the train table. She loves to stand and grab and throw what she wants around. Gabriel had to move to the other train table in the back since she was not sharing and playing rough. A little bit after this photo a few other kids arrived and she was getting all aggressive with a little boy a few years older then she. Izzy was doing her loud and angry sounding baby cursing. She ended up pulling the little boys sweater and trying to tell him to "get lost". All the while maintaining her balance. She was guarding her Thomas the train table turf and I think she even give the little guy the "evil eye" glare. In her defense, she was there first and he was invading her private space standing right next to her. LOL!

Are you lookin' at me?!!!

Here is the little pork chop at bathtime. Look at all her lovely rolls!!! Only Izzy can make butt dimples a much desired and coveted look! She loves bath time and stands at the side of the tub and watches it fill up with water. She gets all crazy if you even try to move her away from it. Izzy is able to scoot herself from one end of the tub to the other once she is on her little tush. You better not try to end bath time until all the water is gone and Izzy is ready to get out. Otherwise the foam horns become real.

Here comes the Christmas Tree!

I finally got to put the new Christmas tree up. After a lot of work and figuring out all the electrical stuff, the tree lit up! It wasn't until after all the decorations were on it that I noticed the very bottom layer of the tree not having some clear lights...It is staying the way it is. I am NOT taking a thing down until 2011!

Izzy loves the tree and all the wonderful gadgets hanging off the branches. Gabriel helped me get the ornaments up, but favored one section of the tree and pretty much the one branch. Izzy helped by pulling the ornaments down, but it kept her occupied the entire time. Izzy likes to do the duck lip pucker thing and then she does the piggy snorting all at the same time(photo w/Madison). Pretty funny. Gabriel decided he needed to get under the tree, but no presents under there for him yet. I tried and tried to get a photo of the 2 kids together. As usual, maybe next time.

Gabriel's BFF

That would be Target. He was looking at a toy catalog and letting me know what he wanted. He got a little more detailed later on, but I am sure you can see what the theme of the thoughts is. He told me earlier that we needed to go to Target, "go Target, buy Thomas. Ok Mama?" Target commercials are a real nightmare in this house.

Izzy's first Beach experience!!!

NOT a happy baby!

Izzy at her 9 month check up and I guess she knows what is eventually going to happen. Shots. She only got one needle in the thigh an got over it pretty quickly. Izzy still was not happy about it and cried. This time, she is sitting up on her own. She didn't want to lay down for her commemorative office visit photo shoot. She only stopped crying when she was held. She is over the 95th percentile, as usual, for her weight (24lb 3 oz) and height (2ft 6in) and her head size is in the 90-95th percentile range. The doctor says she is just right weight and height wise. Our little butterball. Gobble gobble!

Happy Baby!

Trick or Treat!!!

Halloween was a success this year. The weather was wonderful and the kids all had a great time. Izzy chilled out in the stroller the whole time and didn't make a single "Peep". She got more candy then Gabriel, but don't tell him that. Not to bad for her first Halloween haunt. Gabriel was hesitant, as usual, but after a few houses down he was all excited about getting candy from strangers. He was all about yelling "trick or treat" at the doors with his pumpkin basket up in the air. He even tried to get seconds right after getting the first batch. Should have dressed him up as Greedy smurf. He is actually in the process of burping in the photo posted. He was getting tired and needed a cold drink. I decided to put yet another photo of the 2 of them together since I was not successful in getting one of them together today. Maybe next year.

Little Catholic Princess

Happy Halloween!!!

HUNGRY!!!

Izzy loves to put anything and everything into her mouth. She even tried the soccer ball.

Gimme more please!
At this time, her 2 little bottom front teeth have broken through and will be showing soon!

Gabriel's Fall Field Trip

Gabriel's school field trip took him to the local pumpkin patch for a hayride and picking his own little pie pumpkin to bring home. Izzy got her own little pumpkin too! She also made a new "friend" Izzy, our own little pumpkin, also got to take photos with the pumpkins and dig her little toes in the dirt. Gabriel had a great time climbing the haystack mountain with his classmates and seeing all the farm animals.

What happens when you misbehave @ Grammas

Gabriel gets "hit" in the eye by Gramma's wicked watergun. NO worries, He loved it!