In-Home Goings-On

It's been a busy month for Tommy at the pad - people coming to visit, learning to climb up everything, dancing and music-making, imaginative play, and lots and lots of laughs.

Aunt Marianne came to hang w/the little guy, and he pulled out all his words, signs, and dance moves for her. She did not go home disappointed.

These are just some pics of the boy in a red sweater. That's it.

Sometimes it takes getting Ergo-ed for him to fall asleep...

Using the Pack-n-Play as a jungle gym. The little monkey is learning to climb...

Getting the point.

Lola made an appearance at the Wednesday playgroup and entertained the kiddos. Not sure who had more fun, Lola or the little ones....

T has developed a strong affinity for bubbles, or as he calls them, "Bum-buk." We foresee washing his mouth out with soap being an ineffective punishment in the future. He eats the bubbles up like candy.

We recreated Noah's Ark out of two cardboard boxes. Our goal was to get his animal friends safely from the flooding lands (the 2nd bedroom), across the Red Channel (the runner across the hallway), through the waterfalls (EZ's blue robe hung on the side of the crib), and onto the high and dry land (the bed).

The captain prepares his ship and cargo.

He dons his hat, and they begin the trip. (No animals were harmed in the production of this

game)

Welcome, 2010!

NYE consisted of pizza dinner w/friends and a special tiara for the little man. We were all in bed by 10. Yes, we rock!

Holly Jolly Christmas

Our usual whirlwind Christmas tour of Richmond was a blast. Tommy is still a bit young to realize exactly what is going on, but he enjoyed opening presents and having his family shower love and affection all over him. The Schedule: Xmas Eve at the Peterson Open House, Xmas breakfast with the Carltons, Xmas afternoon at the Zwickers', Xmas night with the Heraldos, Boxing Day with the Zwickers. We all had so much fun, and came home to DC tired but content.

Tita Liz cooked a Christmas breakfast fit for kings and then we proceeded to unwrap the many many gifts. Tommy got some really excellent toys, and his Papa may be most excited about the golf set. Game on!

We jammed to Beatles Rock Band at Tito Junior's house.

Boxing Day with the Zwickers was a lot of fun. The boys got lots of great toys, including a Slinky for each of them! Love those!

EZ got to visit an old friend, Holly over the weekend, too. She had a wonderful time catching up and introducing her to Tommy.

Update from Tommy's mama

Tommy's zest for life continues to amaze me. I love to watch him stuff his face with pomegranate seeds, laugh out loud while running, or sing out 'bye bye' in upper octaves that have been known to set off security alarms. He requests group hugs and is a very generous giver of kisses and waves. He's never met a stranger he didn't know, especially fellow Metro riders. If he keeps up these flirting skills into his teenage years, we're in trouble.

He likes to keep a close eye on his loved ones, often signing for their presence as soon as he notices them missing. And the dancing! The unadulterated joy he feels while spontaneously dancing and laughing is downright infectious. I dare anyone to not smile while watching him dance. Michael Jackson is his favorite artist, but he's not picky.

He's obsessed with doors and keys, balls, wiping and scrubbing, toothbrushes, and watching videos of himself. Tommy maintains his patience with being groomed, becoming uncharacteristically still while I put lotion on his face or wipe his nose. He proudly sports a curly mullet and has all but run off his baby fat. No one can make him laugh quite like his papa. He's developing his words and signs at lightning speed. The only thing that he seems to do slowly these days is grow teeth. Still no sign of any beyond the six he has. No matter, I still love that T Bone. Mama out.

Can you say, "Snow"?

The Blizzard of 2009 hit a couple of weeks ago and dumped about 16 inches of snow in DC. Tommy wanted to play near it, not exactly in it. We went outside, then back in three times, but he barely wanted to touch the stuff, despite it being perfect for snowballs or snowmen. Maybe next time. We did manage to get him to say his version of snow. It came out sounding more like a gentle Nooo. Very cute.

If you look closely, you'll see a snot bubble...gross, but funny.

The aftermath of the storm on our block and in our backyard.

And a short vid.