"Can I make a snowman?"

Ever since it started snowing a couple of days ago you've been asking me if you can go outside and make a snowman. It also doesn't help that all your TV shows have characters playing in the snow or making a snowman. I would have taken you outside if I didn't have Kendall with me and as soon as daddy came home from work it was too dark (and cold) to take you outside :-(

However, I happened to text my friend Jenn (Nate's mom) today and she mentioned that she wanted to take Nate sledding. When I told her that you've been asking me to make a snowman, she invited us over so you and Nate could play in their backyard. That way Kendall would be inside while we (the mothers) watched over you and Nate. Luckily Nate's dad took a day off today so he was able to play with you guys outside.

My 2 sunshines this morning while we played in the basement. Look how high Kendall can hold
her head up now :-)

You and Kendall at Nate's house. You're all dressed to go outside.
At first you were pretty stoic, but later on you got pretty animated and excited.

You had so much fun playing in the snow. You even got snow on your face.

Look how happy you are.

Jenn, Nate's mom, made this collage of you and Nate playing outside in the snow. How precious.
This is a memory I'm going to cherish forever.

What does not belong?

I was playing with you in the basement with all your new toys today and I just happened to be setting up the Nativity scene from the wooden play set that Auntie Jess bought you for Christmas. I had set it up all perfectly when you grabbed your Lightning McQueen paper cut-out from another play set and you propped it up right in front of baby Jesus! All I had to do was laugh. 

Here's the perfect set-up before you put Lightning McQueen here.

Happy birthday Jesus!

Well, it's finally here- Christmas!

I kept asking you every day whose birthday it was on Christmas and you kept saying it was God's. I guess you are not wrong, but I reminded you it was Jesus' birthday and that's why we celebrate Christmas. I was actually a little bit annoyed leading up to Christmas because you haven't been behaving well. You've actually been throwing a lot of tantrums and saying bad words- i.e., Hot Jesus (I think you learned this at daycare). I felt like you didn't deserve to open presents. Plus, with the tragedy that happened at Newtown I wanted this to be a more meaningful Christmas. I really want to do something different when you are a bit older and maybe get you to volunteer with me somewhere so that you realize there's a lot more to Christmas than getting gifts. What really bummed me out was when you said, "Mommy, can you get me more gifts?" after you opened all your gifts. And this was after you opened so many gifts!

Opening the first gift.

I can't remember who this was from, but it may be from Jenn and Ed.

Same with this book.

Kendall got a rattle from Jenn and Ed and a couple of other baby toys.
The Minnie Mouse kit is from Dennis' co-worker for Kendall.

Kendall loves her little toy and she won't let go!

From Dennis' co-worker, you got a Cars Crayola set.

Excuse your jjing jjing (grumpy) face. I think you were overwhelmed with all the gifts.
This Nativity scene set was from Auntie Jess and Uncle Wayne.

Look how happy Kendall is! She is my little angel.

I wrapped 2 gifts your Toronto grandparents bought you from their Asian vacation.
They bought a top and a blowfish that lights up.

The top is really cool. It lights up and makes music. It's quite loud so you are a little scared of
it. You kept grabbing the top to stop it from spinning and making loud noise.

Your Vancouver grandparents and Auntie Jane bought a ton of gifts for you that were pretty
good. Auntie Jane asked me what you needed/wanted so I gave her a few ideas and she went
with it. 

Because of you love movies, she got you a few DVD's- 1 being a Christmas Classics set.
I think you also got How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Mommy and daddy got you a key ring toy that makes sounds. You always drive your
Lightning McQueen car and you were using Kendall's teething ring to pretend that it was a key
ring for your car. That's why I bought this for you.

We also got you an addition to your Thomas the Train set.

And more from us- a Cars activity set. You absolutely love Cars so anything with Lightning McQueen
is a hit for you.

Kendall got a ton of clothes from Auntie Jane and your Vancouver grandparents. What a lucky
girl she is!

Your Vancouver grandparents/Auntie Jane also got you lots of Leap Frog books. They were all
Disney-branded books so I know they weren't cheap. Thank you!

Look how happy you are.

Mommy and daddy got you a microphone so you can perform your Gangnam Style song and
dance for us since that's what you love to do these days.

Already testing the microphone…

Last, but not least, your Toronto grandparents bought you a huge remote control truck.
Look how awe-struck you are!

You got gifts from Auntie Sara and Uncle Dan, but you opened it at our family Christmas party on Saturday so that's why it's not here. They got you a Cars drinking cup that you absolutely adore, a Thomas & Friends lunch box and the movie Rio. They got Kendall a baby toy that we can hang off her jumper. And Kendall also got something from Auntie Jessica and Uncle Wayne, but I must have forgotten to take photos of that. They got her a Peter Rabbit body suit that I've been desperately needing. I love suits that cover Kendall's head and cover her feet because it's so convenient to travel with and perfect for when I have to put her in the Baby Bjorn. Thank you!

My sunshine girl

You hardly cry unless you are hungry or are being held by old people (I'm talking about the grandma's on both sides of the family). Today I put you down on the crib for just a second when you were cranky and you burst into tears. You had flipped over onto your belly and was crying, but then you spotted me and broke out into a huge smile. That's why your eyes are a bit shiny here. This was taken right after you were crying. How can your heart not melt when someone is that happy to see you?

Strip show

I think I mentioned a while ago that you have a tendency to strip. Daddy and I have both found you in more than one instance with one arm out of your sleeve. Daddy even found you once in your crib with your shirt over your head! After that incident I make sure you are wearing your sleep sack while in your crib or are wearing onesies that button up at the crotch. Today, I had you sitting on your bouncer and in a blink of an eye you were half naked! I think you found it funny because you kept smiling at me. You even tried taking off your socks! Oh boy…

Advent Calendar: Bake cookies

I was so excited for you to open this box. I saw a commercial back in November of Pillsbury Christmas cookies that had different Christmas pictures on it. When I went grocery shopping a few weeks ago I made sure to pick these up. I grew up with a mother that shooed us away from the kitchen when we were growing up so I never had any memories of baking/cooking with my mom. Don't get me wrong, I have fond memories of enjoying my mom's delicious foods, but I decided that I want to involve you more in the kitchen at an early age. When daddy and I watch the Food Network (we are obsessed!) and I hear chefs talking about how their passion of cooking was ingnited by spending time in the kitchen with their grandma/mom I am inspired. I also want your future wife to be impressed by your cooking skills. Not that today involved you cracking eggs or any actual baking for that matter, but it's a stepping stone, right?

So beautiful you are :-)

Always wanting to do the cute pose.

Lashes to die for!

So so excited.

Another funny face.

Haha, the fake smile again.

I chose the snowman picture cookies. They also had a Christmas tree and something else…
I forgot!

You pulled up the stool so that you could help me.

Putting all the cookie dough on the baking sheet.

It was a VERY important job.

Cookie batch ready to go in the oven!

While we were waiting for the cookies to bake in the oven I took a video of you. I told you the oven was hot and to not go near it and you mentioned that last time you hurt your hand on it. I didn't know what you were talking about, but then I remembered that there was an incident a few weeks ago where you stuck your hand in the gap of the door oven when it was still hot and you cried in pain. I had to rinse your finger in cold water for a few minutes to numb the pain. I can't believe how you remember these things!

Look how they puffed up after they were finished.

You actually ate 5 cookies after they were baked. I think you ate them because you helped me
bake them!