Tired Boy

After Christmas weekend with visits from Grammy, Grampa Richard, and Uncle Greg, Max was one tired boy and fell asleep on the floor while listening to Daddy play his bass.

Merry Christmas Lauren!

Lauren was unimpressed. Luckily, Max was around to help open her presents. That is what big brothers are for, right? 

A Dog of Simple Needs

Santa brought Diamond a bag of balls for Christmas. No gift would have been more appreciated. 

Max and Uncle Greg

Max got a remote control car for Christmas and he and Greg enjoyed playing with it.

BTW, Max insisted on wearing shorts that morning, and we have learned to pick our battles. 

Good Job Dad!

Josh made Max a beautiful train table for Christmas. This was his first big project in his workshop and it came out great. 

Presents!

Max had a great time opening presents. We learned a valuable lesson, too. Do not put a picture of a train (gift tag) on a gift that does not contain a tag, or Max will start frantically opening any and all gifts in search for the train. Luckily, there was a train in a gift, or we may have had a real problem on our hands. :) 

Is it time yet?

Twas the night before Christmas and Max was being very good about not opening the presents, but he was tempted. 

Lauren's Dress and Dad's Goggles

Now that is an outfit! 

Santa Max

Max got into the Christmas Spirit while helping to trim the tree. 

Santa's Village

We went to Santa's Village the weekend before Christmas. There was fresh snow and it wasn't too cold and we had a great time. Unfortunately, the camera batteries died, and this is the only picture from the trip. It is of Max's first amusement park ride, the merry go round, which he really enjoyed. He also rode a train (loved that), "drove" cars (loved that), rode on a kids only ride with Anna (loved that), and the ferris wheel (mom couldn't watch, and he got bored about halfway through it). 

Cousins

Max and Sophie really enjoy each other's company, most of the time. For the most part, they play nicely together, though there are the occasional fights. 

Sleigh Ride

We went to North Conway, NH with Dad, Lydia, Peter, Tracey, their daughters, and Greg. It snowed the day we arrived and we went for a ride on a horse drawn sleigh. Max loved it. 

Long Day

Yes, Mommy did try to cut Lauren's finger off with the nail clippers. She seems okay with it, though. 

Max Loves Lauren

It took a while to get there, but Max really loves his sister now. He likes to help with her, and worries about her when she cries ("Mom! Lauren crying!"). Here, he just gave her a hug and a kiss. We think Lauren doesn't trust him yet, and probably for good reasons. 

Small Boy Deep Snow

We got about a foot of snow one day. Max thought he would go out and run around in it. Once he got out there, he discovered that running around wasn't so easy. This didn't make the experience any less fun, though. 

Snow Angel

Lauren didn't find the snow storm quite as exciting as Max did. She was happy to snuggle down into Mom's coat and sleep. 

Wheeeeee!!!!!!!!!

Who says slides are only for summer? 

More Fun in the Snow.

Max enjoyed sweeping the snow off of his slide. He has finally learned that gloves are his friends. Unfortunately, I couldn't convince him that a waterproof jacket and hat was a good idea. He is smart enough to know when he is cold, though. 

Happy to be in snowy land

Diamond loves being back here. She just wants to play in the snow all day long. 

Today's Thing I Never Imagined I Would Say

"Honey, you can't sleep with the oatmeal. Now say good night to the oatmeal and you can see it in the morning."

Diaper Change!

Max loves to "help" us when we change Lauren's diaper. Here, he is changing his baby dolls diaper. Wiping is very important! 

Look, Baby!

Max loves to show his little sister (whom he still usually calls "Baby") his toys. Here he is showing her how to make the little guy pop out of his hole. He is getting to be a very good big brother who worries when she cries and tries to make sure she is happy. 

Hi Daddy!

Josh and Lauren bonding in the morning. 

Hanging with the Kids

I was wearing Lauren last night when Max, fresh out of the bath, asked to get on my back. I grabbed Josh's Napsack and put him up there. It was surprisingly easy to carry both kids, though I only had to do it for 15 minutes or so. Max was pleased as punch. Lauren slept through it all. 

Big Chicken!

After playing in the snow most of the day, Max finally napped (thank you grandma and grandpa!) and slept through dinner. He woke late hungry and ready to eat the biggest drumstick he had ever seen. And pie! 

Diamond Likes Snow, Too!

Diamond liked the snow at least as much as Max did.