So we left off the last post at the end of October. As November began, your dad and I started to notice that Curious George was out and Trains were in. You were asking to watch George less and less and starting to request Thomas more and more. Because of this new interest in trains, Gram and I decided to take you to the Frisco Train Store. You LOVED it there! There is a big train set to play with as well as some smaller train tables around the store.
Since the Frisco Train Store was such a big hit, I thought you would also like the Museum of Transportation. To say you liked it would be an understatement. You loved it so much there that I ended up buying a membership. You couldn't believe that we were able to go inside real trains. You learned that the conductor says "All Aboard!" and you also learned what a caboose is. It was a great day!
Since winter was upon us, we tried to play outside as much as possible before it got too cold. You had so much fun in the fall leaves. You and I were throwing them up in the air and running through the falling leaves. It was a blast!
Unfortunately for us, mom had to go back to work in mid-November. Which means that all the fun we had on my maternity leave was over. You started school at this time at Casa Dia Montessori. It was a very rough transition for all of us, but I know it is all for the best. Although you had a rough first couple weeks at school, you absolutely love it now. I'm so glad we decided to put you in a school rather than go with a new babysitter. I have really seen you blossom and come out of your shell since starting at Casa Dia. You even have a really good friend named Chase. You and Chase love playing trains together at school. And Gram gave you your very own backpack, a teddy bear one. You call it Buttons. Buttons carries all your trains wherever you go.
One of the biggest changes is that you FINALLY love being read to! This is where the transition from Curious George to trains moved a bit slowly. Whereas you were playing with trains and asking to watch Thomas, you were asking to read books about George. You liked to wear your Halloween hat when we read George too. It was very cute. But as soon as we got books about trains, slowly even the George books faded to the background.
By the end of November, it was Thanksgiving time. We did the usual for Thanksgiving spending the morning with dad's side of the family and the evening with my side. You enjoyed playing with all your cousins as usual. We even got a picture of all the kids from your generation at Gram's house (plus Nathaniel who is technically in my generation):
Thanksgiving was late this year, so by the time Thanksgiving was over, it was already time to start getting ready for Christmas. The first thing we did was go visit Santa Claus at the Museum of Transportation. We thought you would get a kick out of seeing Santa in a caboose.
We also went inside and saw the Macy's train that was on display. You LOVED it!
While we were there, we also took a ride on the mini train and we took a walk through all the big trains or "Big Choo Choos" as you like to call them:
We even got to walk through a Pullman Coach:
Another thing we did in anticipation of Christmas is build a gingerbread house at Chad and Christy's house. The gingerbread did not turn out quite how it was supposed to and therefore the house never actually came together, but you had so much fun decorating a little gingerbread man. You really enjoyed eating all the candy off of it when it was complete!
We also checked out some Christmas lights in the area that night. It was a house that had lights that were set to music. It was so neat to see and since we were just rolling along in a little neighborhood, dad even let you "drive" a little. You enjoyed that a little too much for my liking, lol!
The first week of December, we went out to Eckert's to cut down a Christmas tree. Before going out to get our tree, we decided to snap a few pictures of you and Declan for our Christmas Card.
After we took advantage of the Christmas scenery we were on the hunt for our tree:
When we finally found one, you were very interested in watching dad cut it down:
You got really into the whole tree cutting down experience this year, even helping dad drag the tree to the road:
After we got the tree onto the top of the car we ate some lunch and then drove home. It was such a fun day and you were just wiped out on the car ride home:
We also celebrated St. Nick's Day. Dad and I talked to you a bit about who St. Nicholas was and after the story we helped you put your shoes out and a stocking up. The next morning you were very pleased to see what St. Nicholas left you:
The Henry train you got came with a tender - therefore you actually got coal in your stocking and you loved it - haha!
Mmmm, candy for breakfast! Who doesn't like St. Nicholas?
We got an early snow this year and you got to play in it for the first time. It snowed a bit last year, but you were not too excited about it then. This year you were pumped! You and dad went out and played for about an hour.
After that, every time it snowed you insisted that you walk in the snow.
That weekend we finally got around to decorating the tree. We played Christmas carols and you helped dad put on the lights and helped mom put on the ornaments. We drank some hot chocolate and ate candy. You were really loving Christmas time!
We went to breakfast with Santa at Cor Jesu again this year. You were way more into it this time actually participating in the different crafts and you even stood up on stage during the dance party. You weren't really quite sure what to do up there, but you went with it:
With all this talk of Santa Claus, we decided that we needed to take a little time to focus on the real reason for the season. So in order to put it into a context that you would understand as a 2 year old, we threw a birthday party for Jesus. It was a great night. We ate pizza and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus over cupcakes. All the kids got their own cupcake with a candle to blow out for Jesus. As everyone was eating, I read the story of the Nativity. Then everyone was free to do any of the crafts I had set up like decorating cookies in the different symbols for Christmas, putting stickers on Nativity scenes, and coloring pictures of baby Jesus. The party was a big success! Hopefully we will be able to throw this party for years to come.
Finally it was time for Christmas Day! First we celebrated Christmas at Gram and Poppy's house. We went to mass at DeSmet and then met over at Gram and Poppy's for dinner and presents. You got so many toy trains! It was awesome! And Gram also got you your very own kitchen set so you could "cook" at her house.
Christmas Day started with us waking up to lots of gifts under the tree.
Then you and dad played with your new train set for a while:
After that we headed over to Gram and Poppy's again for our Christmas Day breakfast. You played with your new kitchen set for a bit and we ate and then you took a nap. After your nap we headed over to Grandma Gerry and Paw Paw Rick's house for more celebrating. You got so many train toys you were overwhelmed! You absolutely loved your new train whistle and your conductor's hat. You kept blowing the whistle and saying, "All Aboard!" It was awesome!
It was such a great Christmas filled with all our family and so much love!
A few days after Christmas, we had a milder day, so we decided to go to Wild Lights at the Zoo. It was a little bit of a crazy night with people all over the place, but you really enjoyed looking at the lights. I must say though, you really seemed to like the "Choo Choo Tracks" you saw all over the zoo even more! It was a very fun, albeit a very exhausting night!
After the hustle and bustle of the holidays were over, we started getting back into our normal routine. You were so into trains at this time that we pretty much just set up a track for you and you and dad played with it. Gram and Poppy wanted to take you and your cousins back to the train store for Frisco Friday. On Frisco Friday, the train store has cookies to decorate, people to paint trains on your face and all the trains you could possibly want to play with. You guys had so much fun!
Another fun night out we had was at the Incredible Pizza Company. You went on your first go cart ride, played mini golf and mini bowling. It was a great night. You had so much fun that it's a place we will definitely return to on days when the outside weather is not so great.
We also decided to try watching movies with you this month. With your love of trains and the Christmas season going on, I decided to record Polar Express. You and I popped popcorn and sat and watched the entire movie one morning! You loved that movie so much that you asked for it repeatedly, usually saying "Po-Spress?" Since that movie was such a big hit we decided to have our first family movie night. We chose the movie Cars for this one. You liked it for a little while, but since there were no trains in the movie, it only held your attention until the popcorn was gone. It's okay though, we will have many more family movie nights in the near future.
In January we had a really big snow storm. The roads were not very good for days, so we were stuck in the house for a while. It was so nice to have lots of snuggle time with you and you and dad had so much fun playing trains. You love your train tracks so much and you and dad have so much fun taking them apart and "building" new track designs.
You are such a fun and loving 2 1/2 year old! You say, "I Love You" often, though it usually sounds more like "I of U". When you get hurt you say, "Ohch!" and ask mommy to kiss it. Your favorite toy is your "Black Engine". Black Engine is actually a Christmas ornament that you took off the tree and have been playing with ever since. You absolutely love traffic signals and when we are in the car you love to say, "Red, stop. Green, go! (though the latter sounds more like 'Geen' go!). You call the yellow ('ello') lights orange. You sometimes ask for mommy's hand for comfort while we are in the car, but you know that when mom is driving and the light is green that I need to let go of your hand. You say, "Mom, drive!" When daddy is driving sometimes we hold hands all the way home. You hate the sun shining in your eyes, so we got you some sunglasses. You only tend to wear them for a short time, but they sure look cute!
You are a bacon connoisseur. You love bacon day at school and you always get bacon each time we go out to breakfast. One time you even swiped some bacon off Chris's plate!
You are a very curious little boy and always want to know what mom and dad are doing. You love to help us with everything! Even helping dad shave and helping mom put on her make-up!
You love going to the Magic House. Your favorite thing to do there right now is the fishing pond. You and dad could play there, catching fish and releasing them, then watching them swim back to the pond, all day!
When we put you in bed, we throw the blanket up in the air to the count of 1-2-3. Then we have to give you George, Other George, and Puffy (you got 2 George dolls for your birthday and you have to sleep with both of them).
You really like bath time still and love to play with Captain McQuack:
)
You love to go to mass! When we walk in you point to the crucifix and say, "Jesus Cross!" (Sounds more like "Geez, Cross!") You love to follow along with your "We Go to Mass" book and get so excited during the consecration. You like to mimic what the priest is doing with his hands and you are working on the sign of the cross and learning the Our Father.
You have been such a joy in our life! I'm such a lucky mom to have such a wonderful little boy! I love you so, so much Alex!
Love,
Mommy
