An Order

Dear readers, go immediately to Georgia's blog to see a hilarious and accurate video depiction of Harry's soccer class. Sam and Georgia are also part of the class.

(It's the posting titled "I Need A Water Break." You can find Georgia's blog at http://turnthiscararound.blogspot.com. A link is also on the side of our blog)

A Day in the Life of Max

We have approximately 450 toys. But everyday, this is what Max likes to do:

1) Play with age-appropriate toys that Mom has put in front of me for exactly 25 seconds.

2) Check to see if Mom is looking. If not, book it as quickly as possible via army crawl maneuver to the Christmas tree. Swat at low Lightning McQueen and Elmo ornaments. If have time, pull Christmas tree skirt over face and play peek-a-boo.

3) Mom will ruin this fun, so act interested in a block until she is distracted, then go straight for the cat scratch mat. Once that becomes boring, move on to the stainless steel garbage can, where you can try to touch the cute baby in the reflection. Man! Mom is ruining it again and pulling us away.

4) This next step is a tricky move. You have to wait until Harry is crying or has done something bad and she is really distracted, then you have to race across the kitchen floor to the cat water bowl! Yeah! Then splash around in that! Although you will be lucky if you get one splash in before Mom freaks out.

5) If you are still allowed on the floor after all this, go for the bar stools. Try to pull them over on yourself. It is hilarious. Mom does not like it. She will return you to the starting line in the middle of the toys again, but hey, what is that I see? A Christmas tree? Let's go check that out!

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

In the days leading up to Christmas, Harry would sing himself to sleep each night singing 4 Christmas songs in this order:
1) Jingle Bells
2) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
3) Santa Claus is Comin' To Town
4) Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
Only after finishing this song list each night IN THIS ORDER would he put his head down on the pillow and go to sleep.
Let's just say we've all enjoyed the holiday season this year. Some evidence:
Grammy came to visit!


Daddy and Harry making some holiday goodies in their matching aprons :)


Should we eat the presents?


The holiday festivities begin. I convince Stephanie to be my assistant for our annual Christmas cookie bake-off ;)


Not sure who is more excited in this photo -- Nana and Papa to give the present or Harry to open it.

Very exciting! After months of coveting Sam's garbage truck -- oh glorious thing that it is -- Harry gets his very own! Pa must point out how to play with the truck correctly. It is THAT cool! (I even wanted to play with it, and I've had my fill of trucks recently.)

Max, James and Harry could not be bothered to participate in this family photo.


But now they all have their Christmas jammies on! Look at all those chubby cheeks! Don't you just want to squeeze them?

James: "Are you serious that we are getting some more presents tomorrow?"

Max!

Christmas morning. Pre-6 a.m. Harry appears. "Should we wake up and go downstairs now?" he asks. All adults involved try to cajole him back to sleep. Some offer cash. But he's not having it. Finally, we open presents in the morning darkness. It was worth it.

Harry: "I've waited for you for so long, Racecar."

You may not know this about Rob, but after he has a glass of Christmas wine, he likes to do things like this.

Harry spent most of Christmas morning like this:

After Christmas morning, onward to Indy for more aunts, uncles, cousins, an amazing Bobby-Flay inspired Christmas dinner and lots of fun!

Max: "This is my mommy and I control her every move because I won't sleep or take a bottle!"

But I make up for it all with my total all around adorableness.

Harry loves nothing more than getting his grandpas on the floor to play cars. "I want Grandpa Bob to play cars!"


And later: the Kent-Knurek crew go to town on some Beatles Rock Band.