Ho Ho Ho!

We hope the Holiday season is treating you all well. We are staying busy around here, but are pretty much done with our shopping and shipping. Still some baking to do, but we'll find some time next weekend to do that.

We have some Christmas books for Casey and he is starting to understand that something is different about this time of year. He recognizes Santa and also has several nativity scenes around the house to play with, so he knows the baby Jesus in different shapes and sizes.

This may be the last post before the holidays, so y'all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Find the kid among the mess!


new soup eating technique.




Loves his new magnetic letters (he can identify and say almost half the alphabet)


Belle gets to play too!


following Daddy around while Daddy tries not to curse at the tangled lights.






Casey's new "cooking stand"
He loves it! He will watch us wash dishes, cook, or he'll just play with his duplos on the counter.
He helped me stir some brownies the other day, and he also likes to be up high while having his snack.
















Shopping the LLBean catalog


Belle is down there somewhere.



Ho Ho Ho! (very short video. He can't be bothered while plugging in his night light)


We have never talked about milk and cookies for Santa, but I one of his books does.
(He's on his cooking stand having his "snack and juice")

Happy 2nd Birthday to Casey!

Officially a "terrible 2," Casey had fun the whole week of his birthday. We traveled to Mimi's house in South Carolina for Thanksgiving and had gift opening almost every day. Mimi's birthday was also earlier that week so she and Casey shared some chocolate cake (aka "chocolate bread!). The main activities of the visit were: 1) plugging in night lights. 2) turning lights off and on (Mimi's light switches are low enough for him to reach-ugh!). 3) playing some games on the computer. 4) taking long naps and sleeping in til after 7am!


not sure about the tricycle, but learned to turn right and left as we wandered down the driveway.


lamps with pull-cords!!


drum machine (and other toys) on loan for the week (Thanks Ann and Terry!)


spent much of his time plugging and unplugging his night lights


followed his cousin Matthew around the house (he loves "big kids")


cleaning out Mimi's cabinets


Be careful!


oops!


More lamps!


Happy Birthday Casey and Mimi!


blowing out the candles!


woke up grumpy and Mimi rocked him a bit.


kid likes to leave on a high note! (he knows "low and high" in music)


Oh, and here is a landscaping update:


from 2006, nice and manicured


2008. A little hard to keep up with-time for those huge holly bushes to go!


juniper trees and holly tree on the side needed to go too!


OK, all gone!


we haven't decided what is going to go on the side, but we do have one grass-type plant (sorry, of course I don't know what it is called)


The new front bed redesigned. There are still 6-8 plants that we will add in the spring.

Happy Fall!

OK, now I'm programming the blog on demand from Casey. One of his favorite morning activities with Mommy is to "watch pictures of Casey," and he especially loves the videos. So I put more videos than usual this time. His current favorite is to ask to "watch Casey put CDs in?" This should be more satisfying than watching it on the little viewfinder on the camera.


Find the cats ...


Belle, our new fireplace decoration (the only "safe" place in the house)


Casey loves his yoga! (Downward facing dog for those of you not familiar with Yoga positions)


He was saying "where did Casey go?"






He was saying "I see Dada"






















This is what I go through almost every time I get out the camera. He wants to "watch pictures" but he won't let me take the time to actually take the pictures.




Having fun in the leaves. Listen for "it's ok" at the end


DJ Casey playing the hits! The "happy music." (It's a Bobby McFerrin CD.


More CD loading and unloading.

More Halloween

I managed to get a few more pictures of Casey in his costume without him running after me trying to "watch pictures." We went to several houses in the neighborhood and then drove to the homes of a couple co-workers. Casey said "Trick treat" several times (not at the door though) and I think his favorite thing about Halloween was ringing the doorbells. He ate a mini kit-kat bar and had fun shaking the little box of Nerds.

On Sunday morning he wanted to put his pumpkin suit back on for a little while. I think he wanted to go outside, probably to trick-or-treat again.






Rocking in Jean's chair (he was excited about his new playdough from Jean and Frank too)


Ready to answer the door at Jean and Frank's


Helping Frank with the trick-or-treaters


At Deborah and Wayne's house, with his box of Nerds (taken by Deborah)


Count and run! (sorry this is a little dark but I have to strike when he is willing to let me take a video--no time to turn on lights)