Merry Christmas to everybody! We had a great day today! Drew and Peter made cookies for Santa that we set out last night. The present opening commenced about 10 am. Here are pictures from the big event:

Proof that santa was here!

Drew when he first came downstairs

Before the carnage started- they look so sweet and innocent now.

Drew opening his light sketcher from Grammie and Poppop. After he opened it he said “hey that’s not my train set!” We had to explain to him that he had lots more presents to open.

Ryan opening his mega blocks

Drew opening his Leapster

Self explanatory

We would tell Ryan to open a present and he would come over and grab a piece of paper and pull it and say “open”

Ryan’s gears from Auntie Shawn and Uncle Kenny. He LOVES this toy!

Ryan and his nursery rhyme book

We made Drew wait until the very last present for his big one. He opened it up and said “See! I told you that I got my train set!”

The aftermath

This is Kasie’s favorite spot!

Poppop helped set up Drew’s train set! He loves it!

Ryan and his alphabet train

Here are some pictures from our christmas with my mom’s family

The whole family

Granny and the grandkids and great grandkids

Granny and the grandkids

Granny and the greats

Granny and the girls

Our family (we could not get Ryan and Drew to look at the camera at the same time)

We took the boys to ride on the train on Dec 19th on the Cedar Park North Pole Flyer. Drew was very upset that it didn’t actually go to the North Pole though. The boys had a really good time- we got cookies and hot chocolate, heard a story being read, and got a train whistle from Santa Claus.

Waiting for the train to come

The train finally arrived!

Waiting for the train ride to start.

Drinking hot chocolate. Drew would take a sip and say “ahhhh”

Mrs. Claus handing out cookies

Santa passing out the train whistles

We managed to get a picture of Ryan standing next to Santa and he wasnt crying!

I can’t believe how big he is now. It seems like everyday he is saying a new word that I havent heard him say before. Yesterday we went to Carson’s birthday party and he was saying “cake” the whole time while we were eating it.

He is so into Elmo right now and either calls him Melmo or Meemo. And he picks up the stuff Elmo that we have and says “awww” and then hugs him. And if Im close enough he puts Elmo to my mouth and says “muah” and makes me kiss Elmo.

If you ask him a question he will either say “uh huh” for yes or “no” and turn his head as he is saying it.

When I go in to get him in the mornings or after his nap he always looks at his sheets and said “uh oh” and I say “whats uh-oh” and he points to a wet spot on his sheets from drool and says “dat”. Then he throws all of his stuffed animals out of his crib and thinks that is the funniest thing.

He also does this when he goes and puts his finger in the door hinges and gets the oil on his finger. He runs over to me and shows me his finger and says “uh-oh” and “dat”.
Off is “aught”

E-o is Leo. Drew renamed his Paddington Bear that Peter got for him from London and Ryan has a small one too. He loves E-O.

Du-ohl is stool. He loves stools and goes to the bathroom and takes the stool everywhere. He likes to put it underneath the light switch to try and reach it but he is not quite tall enough.

He is still fascinated with the doorbell and calls it a ding-dong.

He loves his new tennis shoes that we got him last week. His first pair of big boy tennis shoes! When we are getting ready to leave we ask him if he wants to go bye-bye and he said “sooo” and “sock” which means he wants us to put them on.

So we have been driving around neighborhoods looking at christmas lights and singing christmas songs that Peter had on the iPod. The other night we were playing Jingle Bell Rock and he said “Hey Dada. This song makes me go to sleep!” I was just cracking up and it was taking Peter everything in him not to completely crack up too. Then as we were looking at the lights we commented on one of the houses that weren’t lit up that Drew loves to go see. And I said “Awww, the lights aren’t on” to which Drew replied “Hmmm. I wonder why?”

Then today, the boys went out and they were listening to O Christmas Tree and Drew said “Hey Dada, this song makes me talk so lets listen to another one”.

And I think one of the funniest things I’ve heard him say was the other night at Red Robin. We were getting out of the booth to go up front to leave and Drew jumps down and says “On to the gumballs!” He loves Red Robin because he always gets a gumball when we go there.

And now instead of calling Fuddruckers “Freeckles” it is now “Fredreckles”. At least he is getting closer to what the actual name should be.

Drew’s preschool had a special visitor last Friday so I took Ryan up there and got pictures. Drew told Santa that he wanted a train set for christmas. Ryan just cried. Well, actually he screamed. Even after he got his candy cane he wasnt happy until he was far away from Santa.

Sorry I haven’t updated in a while- I’ve been meaning to but get busy doing something else and forget. We had a great Thanksgiving with my family. We all went to my parents house on Wednesday and stayed until Friday. Of course, we watched Texas cream Texas A&M! HAHAHAHAHA! That’s what those morons get for talking smack before the game. Then mom, Elicia, and I woke up and went shopping at 5 am on Black Friday. BIG MISTAKE. It was a freaking zoo in Walmart. Target and Kohls werent that bad but the “sales” that I got werent really worth the hassle. Peter and I came back home on Friday and the boys spent the weekend with my parents. Ryan did great and mom said didn’t cry but for a few seconds once we walked out the door.

On Saturday and Sunday we put up christmas lights and the christmas tree. The boys were SO excited when we picked them up and got home to see the lights. Ryan ran up to them and say “ahlo light” (hello lights). He also says “bye-bye light” when he goes to bed. Its too cute. But we cannot keep his hands off the stupid tree. I think the broken ornament count is 5 so far.

So some of the new things that Ryan is doing:

walking up the stairs rather than crawling

twisting the door handle to open it himself

he likes to be cute and say “hi-eeee” to strangers as we pass them in the store

he says “beeed boos” when we are driving. (speed boost- he got that from one of Drew’s shows)

he now finally says “Bebe” (what the kids call my mom) instead of saying “ra-ra” everytime. (ra-ra is what they call my dad)

Some of the funny things Drew says:

Bird, Bath, and Beyond (bed, bath, and beyond)

Peanut Finger (butterfinger)

Browns and Noble (Barnes and Noble)

Lastderday (yesterday)

(I know there is more and will add to the list as we remember them. I should have been writing these down.)