Santa Train

Addison went on an adventure with Grandpa the other weekend. He took her to Point Defiance and they rode on The Santa Train, for only a $1.00 they enjoyed a long train ride, hot chocolate and cookies. Addison was all smiles and happy to report to Santa that she wanted a "stuffed Kitty."

My Little Lady

At bedtime tonight I was feeding Greyson in Addison's room while Addison had gone down the hall to throw away a tissue. She comes back carrying my jammies. I said, "Oh thank you," thinking, wow I wonder why she brought them to me in here. She says "I saw them down the hall and brought them to you." I smiled a big smile, think how thoughtful my little Addison is. Wow.

Later on after we have read our stories, talked about the day and the exciting adventures snow she says, "I wonder where my daddy is?" because I had forgotten to show her on the map just like we do every night that daddy is away. Addison then says, " Mommy get the nap" (for some reason we just can't get the m sound attached to this word). Mommy must be tired tonight. So I explained to her that daddy is going to be staying in Pasco tonight, she says "At Costco," a store she is very familiar with, because she loves to have a hot dog while shopping. I said, " no honey he is not staying at Costco tonight he is staying in Pasco, Washington. You know Pasco with a P." She laid there for a moment and then says " He is not in Yakima, he is in Pasco. Pasco with a P. Daddy is in Pasco eating Pea's." I had to laugh.

Playing in the snow!

The sun is shining and it isn't too cold so it s a great day for playing in the fresh snow. Here come the kids!!

They both enjoyed the snow very much. Greyson loved the sled walk we took around the neighborhood. He just laid down and rested. We decided to head in have a hot tubby, and put Greyson down for a nap.

With Greyson sleeping mommy and Addison decided to head out to try those brand new little skis. Addison loved it. We started in the backyard and then went out front where she loved going down our front hill.

I spy Rudolph

Every morning Damien and I are greeted with "Merry Christmas, it is almost Christmas Eve. It will be Christmas dinner pretty soon." We love the holidays at our house!!

This is the priceless photo that Addison is telling Greyson, "Look right there."

Hitting the slopes...

First the little tiny boots came....

At 2 years 8 months Addison recieves her first pair of ski boots. She is so excited. Besides practicing in the living room Damien and Addison have made a habit of watching children skiing on Youtube so Addison can get excited.

A few days later the skiies came..

Greyson had to try them too.

Bedtime singing

After reading books with Addison and tucking her in, I walked down the hall to fininsh feeding Greyson and begin putting him to bed for the night. As I was feeding Greyson I heard the wonderful little voice of Addison singing her self to sleep, "A, B, C, D... " I smiled. She was singing the ABC's. She not only sang it correctly all the way through one time she sang it through 3 times and then she sighed and it was silent. To sleep at last. Sweet dreams little one.

Splash!

What baby doesn't love a tubby? Ours love tubbies, anytime of the day. They have so much fun splashing and swimming. Greyson first laughed at Addison in the bath tub. It was so cute.

Potty Training

One day before Damien was going to give the kids a tubby he told Addison it was time to go potty first. She looked at him holding Greyson and she said Greyson has to go potty too. So Damien being the good Daddy he is put Greyson on the potty and to our surprise, Greyson loved it. He smiled, and then started grunting. Just like he knew what to do, and yes he actually went potty. So the tradition continues, of putting our babies on the potty to go "big potty" at an early age. Addison was first introduced to the potty at about 9 months so yes Greyson has also been introduced to the potty at 8 months old.

Santa and his Reindeer

After attending a christmas party with our Gymboree friends we decided it was a good day to take our Santa picture. We headed to Bellevue to continue our tradition of visiting the Santa's workshop and the stores. Once we arrived at Santa's workshop Addison and Greyson were all smiles. Addison looked up and saw Santa's sleigh and the reindeer flying, she said,"Look Daddy it's ruldo, (you know short for Ruldolph) he is flying." She laughed, "there he is." As she looked up and pointed with her finger. She started sinigng the Rudolph song, which is one of her favorite songs, we sing it year round. She has decided that she likes to sing by herself so if Damien or I try to sing with her she looks at us very serious and says, "No, Daddy you don't sing." You have to smile at her little personality coming through. We have to correct her and say oh are you trying to tell us that you want us to listen to your song instead of sing and she then agrees. While we were in line Damien was showing Addison where Santa was and how when it is her turn she will sit on his lap with Greyson. He then asked her what she was going to tell Santa when he asks her what she wants for Christmas, she looked at him very seriously and said, "A stuffed kitty." We smiled and wondered how she knows to say a stuffed kitty. We then asked her what Greyson wants for Christmas, she said "He wants a parrot." We smiled and said, that we were glad that she knows what to tell Santa.
Once it was there turn Damien placed Addison on Santa's lap, while I put Greyson next to her. Addison looked at him with big shining eyes. She gave us the biggest smile and was so excited. Greyson smiled at us and then he heard Santa talk, so he turned his head to look at this person holding him. He then looked at his sister, back at us and the photographer, then back to Santa, then back to his sister and to his parents. We hope we got one good photo of him looking forward because after the third sequence of looking at his surroundings he lost it. Big, big tears and crying burst from our little man. I quickly came to the rescue while Damien watched our little lady look Santa in the eyes and tell him very seriously that she wanted a stuffed kitty for Christmas. It was adorable. She took her time to make sure she got it all out and smiled when she was done. She was so comfortable just hanging with Santa. She looked at his reindeer and he informed her that his name was "Coach and he was one of Santa's helpers." He then gave her a sucker, looked to her Dad and told Santa, "Merry Christmas."
Later as we were shopping she ate her sucker, as she was eating it she said, "Santa gave it to me.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Snowshoe tree farm here we come! The tradition continues for our 4th year in a row. All bundled up and ready for adventure we headed to the christmas tree farm only to discover that it was way to dark to actually cut our own tree. Instead we chose from a selection of fresh cut trees, this was fine with me since I always have a hard time choosing anyway. Addison loved the trees. She would hide and then call to us to come and find her, then she would giggle and try to say peek-a-boo but she was laughing so hard it was hard to understand her. She also discovered the puddles and proudly gave everyone a show of her newly discovered ability to jump with both feet off the ground, as well as jump and twist. She was delighted. Once we got home and brought the tree in the house Greyson was a little confused about having a tree in our dining room. He just looked up and down checking it out and then would smile. Addison ran around saying Santa is coming.

The Grand Voyage

"The bus has left the garage, I repeat the bus has left the garage." That is right on Wednesday December 3rd, 2008 we were able to take our first family drive in the 1967 VW Bus. Damien was all smiles. Addison was so excited she was squealing. Greyson was excited to be sitting so close to his sister he could really see her. We drove down town, down Ruston way and over to Mimi and Papa's house so they could take a ride too. It was very fun. We enjoyed the bus the following day when we drove to Addisons physical therapy appointment and then we off to eat lunch on Ruston way while enjoying the veiw from the many windows.

Damien's Adventerous Project

It all begin one day while looking at my brothers VW Bus. The wheels were turning in Damien's head, restoring a bus, a bus of my own (again). How cool would that be. So many weeks of searching the internet and emails to a variety of people around the state it was found. So one April 2007 day Damien, Peter, Addison and I all drove to Bainbridge Island to check out this one of a kind 1967 VW Camper Bus. At the time in our eyes it was a gem, the floors were in pretty good condition, hardly any rust, it had a Subaru engine and was drivable. How cool is that, the work will be minimal.

Yes, this was all in the bus.

Many Months later, After hours of hard labor the bus became ready to go to the paint shop

And then week the bus came back from the paint shop.

Becoming more beautiful by the day. Pretty soon the bus will be on the road.

Greyson

Our little Man..

He is so sweet, loving, funny and kissable. He is a little on the chubby side, which we love. He has the best thighs. He loves his sister, even when she bites him with those terribly sharp teeth. He cries like you have never heard before and then he quickly smiles when he sees her again. It truly is an unconditional love. Greyson is teething and I bet his first one is cut before Thanksgiving. Today I can feel a little sharp edge right in the center on the bottom gum. He is so ready for teeth, he refuses to be fed baby food. We joke that you have to know Karate to be able to feed him. He wants the good stuff that everyone else is eating.


Riding the Horse named Timmy.

He loves his jumper. Watch out River Dancers there will be some competition in the future. Greyson is Mobile but he is challenged in the crawling department... he only goes side to side or backwards. Forward is just not happening for the poor guy. He gets so frustrated because his toys are out front and he is just going further and further away from them with each rocking motion he does on all fours. Addison loves to report that "Greyson is stuck under the couch, he goes backwards." We are all smiles.


Heading for the couch